48 First-Term Assembly Members Urge "Na Kyung-won Must Officially Apologize to President Yoon"

Former People Power Party lawmaker Na Kyung-won, who was 'dismissed' from the position of Vice Chairperson of the Committee on Aging Society and Childbirth, is seen answering questions from reporters outside the church after finishing mass at a church in Heukseok-dong, Seoul, on the morning of the 15th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] On the 17th, first-term lawmakers of the People Power Party urged former People Power Party lawmaker Na Kyung-won to officially apologize to President Yoon Suk-yeol.

Forty-eight first-term lawmakers of the People Power Party stated in a press release that day, "Former lawmaker Na, who caused controversy by announcing low birthrate measures opposed by government officials including the Prime Minister without the approval of the chairman, the President, and then resigned to the President without much reflection, is the one responsible," adding, "We first-term lawmakers are appalled by the claim that it was due to distorted reports from aides."

Na Kyung-won, who was dismissed from her positions as Vice Chairperson of the Low Birthrate and Aging Society Committee and Climate Ambassador, raised suspicions of "distorted reports from some aides" through her Facebook on the same day, stating, "I believe the dismissal was not the President's true intention."

The first-term lawmakers said, "Although the President, who holds the power of appointment, directly held her accountable for irresponsibly performing two minister-level positions entrusted to her according to her wishes, she blamed the discord caused by aides," and asked, "Does the President see former lawmaker Na as an incompetent leader surrounded by malicious aides who cannot distinguish between good and bad?"

They continued, "It is hard to believe that a senior politician who has been with the party for nearly 20 years would incite intra-party conflict by dividing the President and aides and use that conflict as a justification for running in the party convention," adding, "While verbally claiming to support the President, insulting him as an incompetent leader is an intolerable hypocrisy and a political fraud that should be expelled from the Republic of Korea."

They further stated, "Have you already forgotten the failure of the previous leadership that ruined the honeymoon period of the new government and threw the party and government into chaos?" and asked, "Where and with whom is former lawmaker Na standing now, as she distorts the President's intentions, slanders colleagues as traitors, and stirs conflict for her own candidacy?"

The first-term lawmakers urged, "We call on former lawmaker Na Kyung-won to officially apologize to the President," and said, "Please do not continue down the wrong path that divides the party and the President. We earnestly ask you to courageously apologize and walk the right path befitting a four-term senior former lawmaker."

The lawmakers who participated in the statement are △Kang Dae-sik △Kang Min-guk △Koo Ja-geun △Kwon Myung-ho △Kim Ye-ji △Kim Byung-wook △Kim Young-sik △Kim Seon-kyo △Kim Hyung-dong △Kim Seung-soo △Kim Hee-gon △Noh Yong-ho △Park Soo-young △Park Sung-min △Park Jeong-ha △Park Hyung-soo △Bae Hyun-jin △Baek Jong-heon △Seo Beom-su △Seo Il-jun △Seo Jeong-sook △Shin Won-sik △Ahn Byung-gil △Yang Geum-hee △Eom Tae-young △Yoo Sang-beom △Yoon Doo-hyun △Yoon Joo-kyung △Yoon Chang-hyun △Lee Yong △Lee In-seon △Lee Jong-sung △Lee Joo-hwan △Lim Byung-heon △Jang Dong-hyuk △Jeon Bong-min △Jeon Ju-hye △Jung Dong-man △Jung Hee-yong △Jo Myung-hee △Jo Soo-jin △Jo Eun-hee △Choi Young-hee △Choi Chun-sik △Tae Young-ho △Hong Seok-jun △Hwang Bo-seung-hee △Han Mu-kyung.

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