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A group of civic groups launched a demonstration today to protest against the Democratic Labor Party (DLP) for its rejection of a public inquiry into the ongoing ‘Wangjaesan Incident’ which is threatening to engulf left wing South Korean politics.
Denouncing the DLP, the demonstrators demanded that the party agree to take part in the espionage inquiry, shouting slogans such as ‘DLP! If you are honorable, cooperate with the investigation!’ ‘DLP with your talk of repression, wake up!’ and ‘Did you forget the Cheonan and Yeonpyeong Island?’
Speaking at the demonstration, Ha Tae Kyung of Open Radio for North Korea pointed out, “The DLP talks about public repression while being uncooperative with a public investigation. As a political party of the people, the very existence of these bad apples is unacceptable.”
“If this situation really is one of ‘repression’ and a ‘fabrication’ as the DLP insists, then we promise to face that fabrication and fight it alongside them,” Shin Bo Ra of The Youth Forum added.
Elsewhere, Mun Dong Hee of Students’ Coalition for North Korean Human Rights called for the DLP to chart a new course, saying, “We appeal to the DLP to turn over a new leaf and become a genuine progressive party for the Republic of Korea that respects the universal human rights of both North and South.”
At the same time, the demonstrators also attempted to submit a letter to the DLP calling for a public debate on the ‘Wangjaesan Incident’ and suggesting the formation of a joint investigation team to establish the truth behind the incident, but the DLP refused to accept it directly.
“We have no reason to accept it directly,” a spokesperson for the party told them. “If you leave it at the desk on the 1st floor, we will collect it this afternoon.”
On this refusal, Choi Hong Jae of North-South Youth Action commented, “All we wanted to do was submit the letter and have a brief debate. Why they would refuse to accept the letter I have no idea.”
