Park Jumin: "A President Formerly a Prosecutor... Is Attending a Chongryon Event Considered Anti-State Activity?"

"Nothing Particularly Revealed... An Excessive Part"

President Yoon Suk-yeol criticized independent lawmaker Yoon Mi-hyang, who attended an event hosted by the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon), calling it an "anti-state act aimed at shaking and destroying the free democratic national system." In response, Park Joo-min, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, criticized, saying, "As a former prosecutor president, this seems inappropriate."

On the 5th, Park said on SBS's 'Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show,' "Is there clear evidence to definitively conclude that this is an anti-state act? That part is what I am curious about."

Democratic Party lawmaker Park Ju-min. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Earlier, on the 4th, at the senior secretaries' meeting held at the Yongsan Presidential Office, President Yoon said, as disclosed by presidential spokesperson Lee Do-woon in a written briefing, "We must firmly respond together with all citizens, regardless of political camp, to anti-state acts aimed at shaking and destroying the free democratic national system."

Although President Yoon did not specify the subject of the "anti-state act," it is interpreted that he was referring to lawmaker Yoon's attendance at the memorial ceremony for the Korean victims of the Kanto Earthquake massacre hosted by Chongryon.

However, Park said, "There was a Chongryon-related event, and she went there. Other than that, nothing particularly has been revealed. Yet the president stepping forward and calling this an anti-state act is somewhat excessive." He added, "I am also a former lawyer, and even if the National Security Act is violated, the types of charges are quite diverse."

In response to the host's question about the Supreme Court's final ruling that Chongryon is an anti-state organization, he said, "Just attending an event of such an organization does not constitute an anti-state act." He continued, "There needs to be clarification and judgment on that part, but for the president, who is a former prosecutor, to immediately call it an anti-state act is inappropriate."

Park, who is also part of the Democratic Party's task force investigating the late Chae Sang-byeong's death case, said, "Former Director Park became the subject of investigation, and there are statements submitted to investigative agencies." He added, "Those statements include content suggesting that the Minister of National Defense changed his position within just a few hours despite having signed the death certificate himself, and that the president was behind this. This needs to be clarified."

When asked whether he would raise related questions during the upcoming government questioning starting that day, he said, "I do not plan to focus questions on this part. Rather, I intend to focus on the purpose of the amendment to the Military Court Act and, in light of that purpose, whether the Minister of National Defense's order was a legitimate order."

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