Apologizes for Past Criticism of the Sewol Special Probe
Kim Yong-nam — a former member of the People Power Party and the Reform New Party who is now the Democratic Party’s candidate in Pyeongtaek — apologized for past remarks he made about the Sewol ferry disaster.
On the 11th, Kim posted on his Facebook page: “I did not fully appreciate how deeply my remarks would wound the families who lost loved ones,” he wrote.
In 2015, while a member of the Saenuri Party (the predecessor of the People Power Party), Kim said the Sewol truth-finding special investigation committee was “only wasting taxpayers’ money” during its term.
Kim said he has always believed that bereaved families deserve a thorough, impartial investigation and full support, and that this belief has not changed since the disaster. He acknowledged that he was clumsy in expressing his views about the panel’s work and that his comments left room for misunderstanding.
He also sought to draw a clear line under his past role in former President Yoon Seok-yeol’s campaign, calling that chapter a stain on his record.
“My past ties and memories from working together as prosecutors more than 20 years ago clouded my judgment,” Kim said. He added that the conduct of Yoon and his circle after taking power was “utterly incomprehensible by any reasonable standard.”
Kim said that, once he grasped the reality of the situation, he took a leading role in speaking out about the Yoon administration’s misconduct and raised his voice firmly, particularly in response to the recent insurrection.
He acknowledged that serving as a spokesman for Yoon’s presidential campaign would remain a serious stain on his life, but said he will not deny or erase that past. He vowed to treat the mistake as a painful lesson and to devote the remainder of his political career to working with the public to strengthen South Korea’s democracy.
