Lee Byung-tae, vice chairman of the Regulatory Rationalization Committee [Yonhap]
Lee Byung-tae, vice chairman of the Regulatory Rationalization Committee [Yonhap]

Senior leaders of the Democratic Party of Korea on Sunday called for the resignation of Lee Byung-tae, vice chairman of the Regulatory Rationalization Committee, who sparked controversy by saying the May 18 Gwangju Uprising had "become a sacred ground" in connection with a debate over a Starbucks-themed cheer chant used by the Baejeong High School baseball team.

At a supreme council meeting at the National Assembly that day, Democratic Party Supreme Council member Hwang Myeong-seon criticized Lee, saying that "shielding the perpetrators by calling it a sacred ground or invoking North Korea in response to the mockery of May 18 amounts to throwing away one's qualifications as a public official of the Lee Jae-myung government."

Fellow Supreme Council member Kang Deuk-gu also took aim at Lee at the same meeting. "Calling the mockery of history a prank, and calling the disciplinary action the behavior of North Korea — this is not freedom of expression. It is an insult to history," he said.

Park Ji-won, a senior lawmaker of the party, also weighed in on Facebook that day, saying Lee "is holding his ground, invoking fundamental rights and claiming he has heard nothing from the president, who appointed him, despite a stern warning from Cheong Wa Dae."

In response, Lee posted on his own Facebook page Sunday invoking Thomas More (1478–1535), the British statesman and thinker, arguing that More "chose a life of honor — conscience — over interest — his life and power — refusing to side with Henry VIII to the end because it went against his faith and moral conscience."

The post appeared to signal that Lee intends to stand firm, even as Cheong Wa Dae has issued a stern warning and ruling-party figures have mounted sweeping pressure on him to step down over his criticism of the disciplinary action taken against the Baejeong High School baseball team.


husn7@heraldcorp.com