On March 28, the People Power Party launched a concentrated criticism of President Lee Jae Myung’s reported remarks to the families of the Cheonan incident victims, saying, Do you think North Korea will apologize just because we ask them to? In response, the Democratic Party of Korea countered, calling it an excessive political attack that distorts the intent of his statement.
Park Seong-hoon, the chief spokesperson for the People Power Party, issued a statement that day. He criticized President Lee for once again remaining silent about North Korea’s heinous act of attacking the Cheonan. Park argued that Lee’s flippant comment, Do you think North Korea will apologize just because we ask them to? trampled on the sacrifices of 46 brave soldiers and the anguish of their families.
Park pointed out that during Lee’s tenure as the Democratic Party leader, he failed to provide a clear answer when former Cheonan captain Choi Won-il asked about North Korea’s atrocities. The spokesperson noted that nothing has changed now that Lee is president.
He further stated that while the president demands apologies from media outlets that criticize him and forces reflections with an obsession bordering on madness, he can’t even properly demand an apology from North Korea, which has driven South Korean youth to their deaths.
Representative Jang Dong-hyuk shared related reports on social media, saying he had just one question for the president: Will North Korea engage in dialogue just because we ask them to? Floor leader Song Eon-seok also questioned whether the president’s words were appropriate for families who have lived in agony after losing loved ones 16 years ago.
Representative Na Kyung-won criticized on social media, calling the president’s remarks a declaration of surrender to North Korea and a severe insult to the fallen heroes who sacrificed their lives to protect the country.
Na expressed that this is an outrageous statement that makes one doubt their ears. Such words should never come from the president of South Korea. Na questioned where the president’s obsession with demanding apologies and scolding the opposition, media, and critical citizens had gone.
The Democratic Party immediately rebutted these criticisms. Floor spokesperson Baek Seung-ah claimed in a written briefing that the president’s remarks did not deny the demand for an apology. Instead, she argued, they revealed a realistic and deep consideration of how to hold North Korea accountable for its provocations and bring about substantial change.
She continued that the president’s commitment to strengthening South Korea’s security remains unwavering. He merely emphasized a practical approach rather than an emotional response.
Targeting the People Power Party, Baek criticized that the behavior of turning even a national memorial service into a tool for political strife is a typical example of outdated, time-worn politics that repeats itself every election season. She stated that distorting the intent of the remarks while hurling accusations of treason and surrender only deepens the wounds of the bereaved families.
Baek urged that it cannot repeat the incompetence of past conservative administrations that merely shouted about security while failing to maintain vigilance and allowing drones to invade the airspace. She called for an immediate halt to turning national security into a political tool and urged participation in constructive discussions for national security.
Earlier, a media outlet reported that on March 27, during the West Sea Defense Day ceremony, President Lee responded to a request from the family of the late Sergeant Min Pyeong-gi, who died in the Cheonan sinking. When asked to make an effort to get an apology from North Korea, Lee reportedly said, Do you think North Korea will apologize just because it ask them to?