Lee Jae-myung says "Reveal portraits and names"... Kim Ki-hyun says "Stop exploiting Itaewon"

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is attending the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 9th and delivering opening remarks. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Kim Gi-hyun, a member of the People Power Party and one of the candidates for party leadership, directly criticized Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, for demanding the disclosure of the names and portraits of the victims of the Itaewon Halloween accident.

On the morning of the 9th, Kim said through his social network service (SNS), "Leader Lee insisted that the portraits and names of the victims of the Itaewon disaster should be disclosed. Stop exploiting the Itaewon tragedy for political gain," referring to the repeated use of the tragic deaths as a tool for political strife.

He added, "(Leader Lee) should first disclose the criminal allegations surrounding himself," and said, "The reason for exercising the right to remain silent is unclear. Leader Lee's time is over."

On the same day, during the Supreme Council meeting, Lee said, "In any disaster, how can the whole nation offer incense and condolences without knowing the names or faces of the victims? Unless the bereaved families oppose, the names and portraits should naturally be disclosed and sincere mourning should take place."

He also raised his voice at a press meeting immediately after the Supreme Council meeting, saying, "According to general funeral customs, when someone dies, it is the principle and common sense to enshrine the deceased’s memorial tablet and portrait, and to hold memorial services and offer incense. From the government's perspective, it is only right to obtain the consent of the bereaved families so that proper mourning and tribute can be conducted when a disaster occurs."

He continued, "Nevertheless, it is strange that until now, there have been no photos of the incense offering site and no knowledge of who died. Isn't there an intention behind this? To ensure proper mourning, the names and photos of the victims should be obtained with the consent of the bereaved families and a proper tribute should be made."

The Democratic Party’s policy to disclose the portraits and names of the Itaewon accident victims was first revealed in messages exchanged between Democratic Party lawmaker Moon Jin-seok and Deputy Director Lee Yeon-hee of the Democratic Research Institute. In response, ruling party lawmakers collectively criticized the move, saying, "Even if you cannot be human, do not become monsters."

On the 8th, Jang Je-won, a member of the People Power Party, pointed out on SNS, "Are they pursuing political gain even if it causes more pain to the bereaved families and the public? Is this what people who always shout 'People First' would do?" Similarly, Kwon Seong-dong of the same party said, "I cannot contain my anger at the Democratic Party’s behavior of exploiting the deaths of the people as material for political strife."

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