Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Park Ji-won. [Yonhap]
Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Park Ji-won. [Yonhap]

Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Park Ji-won has urged writer Yu Si-min, who has been publicly criticizing President Lee Jae Myung, to "please stop breaking what we have, even if you can't help build it."

Park made the remarks Monday on the Sisain YouTube channel program "Kim Eun-ji's News In." He said he personally has grievances with President Lee but that dwelling on them is unproductive. "I personally have many disappointments with President Lee. But how can you live your life nursing resentment over every decision a president makes? You have to look at what he is doing for the country," Park said.

He acknowledged that Yu, as a progressive intellectual and freewheeling writer, has every right to speak his mind, but drew a line at remarks he said benefit the insurrection forces. "South Korea is currently clearing out the insurrection and carrying out three major reforms. It is not good for a progressive, liberal writer to keep saying things that work in favor of the insurrection forces," Park said.

Park urged Yu to choose his words carefully. "Whatever Yu says this week is his own decision, but please think of the people and do not do things that benefit the insurrection forces," he said. "Using the language of solidarity rather than the language of cursing, and not stirring up discord — that is the right path for an intellectual writer of this era."

Park also said that while Yu is entitled to advise the president, the repeated public criticism has lost its effect. "He can offer advice to President Lee. Saying it once or twice publicly is fine, but firing it off repeatedly has made it ineffective — it does more harm than good," Park said. "So please stop and help instead. It is time to let it go."

Park had also weighed in Thursday, responding to Yu's remark that "President Lee Jae Myung's path will end in failure." Park asked, "With whom in mind as an alternative are you trying to shake a president who has barely been in office for a year?"

In a Facebook post the same day, Park wrote that President Lee "is on the path of inevitable success, not inevitable failure, despite Yu's groundless attempts to destabilize him," adding: "If the progressive forces — represented by President Lee — fail, the insurrection forces will return. Does Yu want that?"

Yu had appeared Wednesday on the program "Choi Wook's Maebulshow," where he criticized the Lee Jae Myung administration's attempts to broaden its political base and the confusion within the government and ruling party over prosecutorial reform. He particularly invoked the so-called "reconstruction theory" — the idea that President Lee intends to fundamentally reorganize the Democratic Party — and declared that the administration "is heading down the path of inevitable failure."


min3654@heraldcorp.com