Gominjeong to Lee Junseok: "Didn't make hateful remarks? You need to understand why people feel uncomfortable"

"Not about blindly protecting under the label of the vulnerable... but about empathizing with their difficulties"

Democratic Party lawmaker Ko Min-jung. [Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoon Seul-gi] The National Solidarity for the Elimination of Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (Jeonjangyeon) resumed protests demanding the guarantee of mobility rights for the disabled by staging subway boarding and alighting demonstrations. In response, Lee Jun-seok, leader of the People Power Party, warned with the message "Do not take citizens hostage." Regarding this, Go Min-jung, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, criticized Lee.

On the 27th, Go posted on her Facebook, saying, "Although Lee claims he did not make hateful remarks himself, he needs to understand why so many people criticize and feel uncomfortable," pointing out, "This is the result of Lee's attitude toward socially vulnerable groups such as women, the disabled, and animals so far."

Go continued, "It is not about blindly protecting someone just because they are labeled as vulnerable," emphasizing, "Rather, it is about 'empathizing' with their difficulties and living together with the spirit of 'consideration' and 'solidarity.'"

Photo by Go Min-jung, captured from the Facebook page of the Democratic Party of Korea.

Go also cited remarks by American actress Meryl Streep, who conveyed a message to "beware of discrimination and hatred," to stress the importance of solidarity. After receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 74th Golden Globe Awards in 2017, Streep said in her acceptance speech, "When those in power publicly reveal an instinct to humiliate others, it spreads into the lives of everyone else, as if others are approving such behavior," adding, "Hatred breeds hatred, and violence begets violence. If those in power use their position to torment the vulnerable, we will all be defeated."

Meanwhile, Lee criticized Jeonjangyeon, which has been staging boarding and alighting protests daily to demand mobility rights. On the 25th, he posted on his Facebook, "If protests that take citizens' commuting hostage like this continue, I will go to the site and confront them," sending a warning message to Jeonjangyeon.

Additionally, on the 26th, Lee wrote on Facebook, "Jeonjangyeon's subway operation disruption protests no longer resonate with the public," and on the 27th, he said, "Jeonjangyeon must abandon their self-righteousness and give up the stubbornness that they can take Seoul citizens hostage and make unreasonable demands if their proposed alternatives are not accepted."

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