[2024 국정감사]
Kim uses profanity to defend the counterintelligence commander
野 pointed out that “Chun Doo-hwan and Cha Ji-cheol are similar”
Kim responded, “Thank you.”
Controversy arose when Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun used slang words such as ‘X God’ while defending the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Counterintelligence Command (Lieutenant General) Yeo Yeo-hyung, who answered a question about the opposition party’s ‘martial law theory’. The opposition party compared Minister Kim and Commander Yeo to Chun Doo-hwan and Ji-cheol Cha (Chief of the Presidential Security Office during President Park Chung-hee’s term), and a fierce battle mixed with shouting continued between the two sides.
At the National Defense Committee audit of the National Assembly held at the Ministry of National Defense building in Yongsan-gu, Seoul on the 8th, Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Min-seok asked, “Have you ever felt that former Minister of National Defense Shin Won-sik had physical or memory problems?” Commander Yeo responded, “I don’t feel the need to answer.” He answered. Commander Yeo got angry and shouted back at Democratic Party lawmaker Boo Seung-chan, who was blocking her speech, saying, “Why are you yelling?”
When Rep. Hwang Hee of the same party pointed out, “It doesn’t look good for a person wearing a military uniform to show such an attitude at the head of the National Assembly,” Minister Kim stepped forward and said, “I think it’s even more ‘X God’ to sit still and not be able to say something about wearing a military uniform.” claimed. In response, Rep. Park Seon-won of the same party sarcastically said, “Chungam High School’s spirit is amazing.” Minister Kim and Commander Yeo graduated from Chungam High School and are President Yoon Seok-yeol’s senior by one year and nine years his junior, respectively.
Afterwards, Commander Yeo was given the opportunity to speak and said, “For a month, I personally received unbearable insults to my character in public through the media and YouTube,” and added, “I offer my sincere apology for reacting somewhat harshly.” However, when Rep. Park said, “(Looking at the minister and the female commander), it’s nice to see them because they look like Chun Doo-hwan and Cha Ji-cheol,” Minister Kim countered by saying, “Thank you.”
At the National Assembly inspection that resumed in the afternoon, Minister Kim expressed regret over the use of profanity, but when Rep. Park again took issue with his remark, “Don’t be a Cha Ji-cheol,” he continued to get angry, saying, “I can’t even follow your toes.” Minister Kim said that Rep. Park Beom-gye of the same party asked, “Do you respect Cha Ji-cheol, who was the de facto cause of the December 12 coup? When asked, “How can you say such a thing?” he responded, “I don’t like (Cha Ji-cheol), but why do you keep comparing me to Cha Ji-cheol? He also expressed his displeasure by saying, “Please don’t compare anymore.”
Meanwhile, Minister Kim recently said, “It is highly likely that the North Korean military casualties in Ukraine are true given the various circumstances.” Also, “North Korea has only one person with the highest dignity, but South Korea has 50 million people. “If one person fights with 50 million, of course we will win,” he said.
Military reporter Sang-ho Yoon ysh1005@donga.com
Reporter Son Hyo-joo hjson@donga.com