Former Commander Choi Won-il Meets Minister Seo Wook... "Requests Response to Prevent Cheonan Ship Conspiracy Theories"

Decision to Stop 'One-Person Protest' in Front of the Ministry of National Defense Building

Former Cheonan Ship Captain Choi Won-il visited the Ministry of National Defense building in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 17th and, after a meeting with Minister of National Defense Seo Wook that lasted about 1 hour and 30 minutes, explained the outcome of the meeting to the press.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] Former Commander Choi Won-il, who held a solo protest against the slander controversy and various conspiracy theories related to the Cheonan ship sinking incident, met with Defense Minister Seo Wook on the 17th and expressed his intention to stop the protest.

On the same day, former Commander Choi met with Minister Seo for about an hour and a half at the Ministry of National Defense building in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, and told reporters, "I heard responses to the countermeasures and recurrence prevention measures we had requested, and we also conveyed our demands," adding, "The Ministry of National Defense promised to work with us with determination to resolve the issue well."

He then said he would suspend the solo protest, which he had been conducting for about an hour every morning at the main gate of the Ministry of National Defense, starting from the 18th. Former Commander Choi said, "I will decide whether to resume the protest depending on the progress of the Ministry of National Defense's promises."

When asked about the demands he made to Minister Seo, he explained, "I asked for countermeasures to prevent conspiracy theories from inciting the public," and added, "The Ministry of National Defense promised to establish detailed measures at the ministry level to prevent incidents like the re-investigation by the Military Death Accident Investigation Committee from happening again."

Furthermore, former Commander Choi emphasized, "Regarding veterans' affairs, it is a matter to collaborate with the Veterans Affairs Office, and I received a promise that the Ministry of National Defense will carefully review and promote matters related to disability pensions," stressing, "Restoration of honor is the top priority."

In this regard, the Ministry of National Defense stated, "We have decided to actively strive to support and uphold the honor of the soldiers who sacrificed for the country, their bereaved families, surviving soldiers, and their families."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.