Democratic Party: "Lee's Remarks on Israel Are Pragmatic Diplomacy"...Directly Refutes People Power Party's 'Selective Human Rights' Criticism

Park Ji-hye: "Undermining Diplomatic Achievements for Political Strife... Deep Regret"

The Democratic Party of Korea on April 12 defended President Lee Jae-myung, who had pointed out the issue of human rights violations by Israeli forces during the Middle East war, and refuted the People Power Party's criticism describing it as "selective human rights."

Park Ji-hye, spokesperson for the Democratic Party, stated, "The People Power Party is once again escalating its criticism by calling President Lee Jae-myung's diplomatic activities 'selective human rights.' We express deep regret at the People Power Party's behavior of undermining South Korea's diplomatic achievements solely for the sake of political strife."

President Lee Jae-myung is speaking at the invited meeting with the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions held at the Blue House on the 10th. Photo by Yonhap News.

Spokesperson Park continued, "President Lee mentioned the universal value of protecting human life and dignity as the President of the Republic of Korea in relation to the Middle East war. To dismiss this as 'SNS politics' or a 'diplomatic disaster' is to deny the stature of South Korea as a responsible member of the international community." She added, "The 'rock-solid prudence' advocated by the People Power Party must not become cowardice that calls for silence in the face of injustice and human rights abuses."

The party also refuted accusations that it remains silent on North Korea's human rights issues. Spokesperson Park said, "Our government proudly participated as a co-sponsoring country for the North Korean Human Rights Resolution adopted at the 61st UN Human Rights Council last March. The North Korean human rights issue is being addressed in practical terms through solidarity with the international community, while on international issues such as the Middle East conflict, we are raising our voice based on universal human rights standards. This is precisely the pragmatic diplomacy that the Lee Jae-myung administration aims for."

The Democratic Party also called for a change in the People Power Party's perspective. Park stated, "There can be no division between the ruling and opposition parties when it comes to diplomacy and national security. The People Power Party must no longer cling to outdated ideologies and a narrow-minded dichotomy that undermines the government's efforts toward peace on the Korean Peninsula and improved inter-Korean relations." She added, "We urge the People Power Party to stop political attacks that distort the substance of the issue and to join the path of bipartisan cooperation for the future of the Republic of Korea and the stability of the Korean Peninsula."

Earlier, on the same day, People Power Party spokesperson Cho Yong-sool issued a commentary, saying, "At a sensitive moment when negotiations to end the Middle East war are beginning, President Lee has reignited international conflict by publicly raising Israel's human rights issues. While turning a blind eye to the clear and ongoing anti-human rights crimes in North Korea, he continues highly proactive 'SNS politics' regarding distant countries. Such actions have lost all credibility."

On April 10, President Lee shared a video on social media showing Israeli forces dropping the bodies of Palestinians from a building in the Gaza Strip in 2024, stating, "This is no different from the forced mobilization of comfort women, the Holocaust, or wartime killings." When Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs protested, calling the remarks "an unacceptable statement that trivializes the Holocaust," President Lee responded, "It is disappointing that Israel does not reflect even once on the criticisms from people around the world who suffer from relentless anti-human rights and anti-international law actions."

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