"Disclosure of Victim List, Close to Being an Accomplice of the Democratic Party"

Jeon Ju-hye Emergency Committee Chair "If There Is Illegality in List Leak, Strict Punishment Is Necessary"

Joo Ho-young, Floor Leader of the People Power Party (Photo by Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Reporters Kum Boryeong, Kwon Hyunji] As controversy arose over the 'disclosure of the Itaewon victims list,' the People Power Party pressured the Democratic Party of Korea, holding them responsible.

Joo Ho-young, floor leader of the People Power Party, stated at an emergency committee meeting held at the National Assembly on the morning of the 17th, "There is widespread criticism from various sectors regarding the disclosure of the Itaewon victims list by internet media outlets 'Mindeulle' and 'The Tam-sa,'" adding, "The Democratic Party bears significant responsibility."

He continued, "The Democratic Party is close to being an accomplice," and pointed out, "It is no exaggeration to say that Mindeulle and The Tam-sa are the Democratic Party's official media. Mindeulle includes many figures who played key roles in Lee Jae-myung's campaign during the last presidential election, including writer Yoo Si-min. As is well known, The Tam-sa collaborates with Assemblyman Kim Eui-gyeom."

Joo also said, "Even if the Democratic Party belatedly claims that the disclosure of the list was inappropriate, no citizen will believe it," and criticized, "Regardless of their true intentions, they are trying to exploit this tragedy for political gain by turning it into a political dispute."

Emergency committee member Jeon Ju-hye also criticized during the meeting, "The disclosure of the Itaewon victims list initiated by the Democratic Party has caused a huge stir," adding, "Following the unilateral disclosure of the list by pro-opposition media without the consent of the bereaved families, even the Catholic Priests' Association for Justice effectively revealed the list by calling out names during a memorial mass."

Jeon said, "It is hard to even put into words what they are doing, as The Tam-sa reportedly held a mukbang (eating broadcast) selling tteokbokki after broadcasting the victims list under the guise of mourning," and added, "Meanwhile, some Democratic Party lawmakers say they will create an online memorial space. They claim they will remember everyone by real names, not anonymously. Unilateral disclosure of real names without consent causes further wounds to the bereaved families and is a clear case of secondary harm."

Jeon further stated, "Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung and the party leadership, who officially advocated for real-name disclosure, have not apologized or made any statements," and strongly urged, "We strongly call for an immediate halt to the politically trivial and provocative remarks and actions regarding this national tragedy."

Additionally, Jeon emphasized, "The police reportedly began an investigation into the disclosure of the victims list on the 16th," and said, "We expect a prompt and thorough investigation, and if there was any illegality in the leak of the list, those involved must be strictly punished."

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