Jeong Heeyong: "Empty Talk of Condemnation Over Namu-ho Attack... Only Threats on Hoarding Despite Inflation Warnings"

"Substantive Action Needed, Not Just Declarative Rhetoric"

Hee-yong Jeong, Secretary General of the People Power Party, criticized the government's response to the HMM Namuho attack in the Strait of Hormuz on May 12, saying, "Merely repeating strong condemnations without even identifying the perpetrator is, in effect, an empty rhetoric."

On his social networking service (SNS) account that day, Secretary General Jeong stated, "(The people) want to know who attacked the Republic of Korea's vessel, why the government still has not identified the perpetrator, and what kind of response will be taken in the future," adding these remarks.

Hee-yong Jeong, Secretary General of the People Power Party

Secretary General Jeong said, "President Jaemyung Lee once said, 'Anyone who harms the citizens of the Republic of Korea will be ruined, whether at home or abroad.' If so, what is needed now is not declarative rhetoric, but practical action by the state." He also demanded, "The government must quickly identify the perpetrator and the method of attack in cooperation with the international community and take immediate concrete measures to prevent recurrence and to ensure the safety of our vessels and crew."

Secretary General Jeong also criticized the government by saying, "Despite warnings about inflation in the 3% range, will the administration continue to merely threaten crackdowns on hoarding?" He added, "People are struggling to get by day to day as they face rising fuel prices, grocery bills, and public utility fees. Nevertheless, President Lee, through SNS, only repeated warnings about crackdowns on hoarding, saying, 'If you try to profit from hoarding, you will be completely ruined.'"

Secretary General Jeong stated, "What the government needs to do is not issue threats, but present practical measures to stabilize energy supplies and mitigate the impact of inflation," and requested, "Policy responses that the people can actually feel—such as adjustments to fuel and import taxes, support for vulnerable groups, and measures to stabilize supply chains—are urgently needed." He also emphasized, "What is needed now is not warnings aimed at the public, but responsible crisis management, and the government should keep this in mind."

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