Former National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo, who claimed in his memoir that President Yoon Suk-yeol mentioned the possibility of manipulating the Itaewon Tragedy, has been confirmed to have revised that part in his memoir on the 25th. Kim had previously disclosed President Yoon’s statement, which he claimed to have heard directly, in the first edition of his memoir ‘What Has South Korea Accumulated’ published on November 27th. In the memoir, Kim detailed a conversation between himself and President Yoon after the National Prayer Breakfast on December 5, 2022, where Yoon expressed doubts, stating, “I cannot make a decision now because I have strong suspicions
regarding the Itaewon Tragedy. The possibility that this incident (Itaewon Tragedy) was induced and manipulated by certain forces cannot be ruled out.” Kim later revised this part in the second edition, mentioning that “President Yoon stated that as the investigation is currently ongoing by relevant government agencies, it will only be possible to determine political responsibility after the accurate investigation results on the incident are released. This was due to the fact that there are completely different perspectives within society regarding the cause and responsibility of this incident, with some making extreme claims.” He added, “I was tempted to say, ‘Do not watch broadcasts by extreme right-wing YouTubers who bring up conspiracy theories,’ but I held back.” The direct statement that President Yoon mentioned ‘the possibility of manipulating the Itaewon Tragedy’ was deleted, and the revised version conveyed hearing about ‘completely different perspectives with extreme claims.’ Kim also added a new note at the bottom of the revised section, expressing gratitude to the leaders of both ruling and opposition parties and the president for exerting political influence to pass the Itaewon Special Law through the National Assembly. In response to this, sources close to Kim stated in a phone call with Hankyoreh on this day, “Former Speaker Kim expressed regret through Facebook, and he decided to take action by revising the book, rather than just speaking.” Earlier, when the details of former Speaker Kim’s memoir were revealed, it sparked controversy in the political arena. Calls from the political circle that President Yoon must disclose his entire statement and clarify the situation were rampant, but the presidential office immediately refuted it, criticizing former Speaker Kim for distorting the president’s statement. As the controversy escalated, former Speaker Kim wrote on Facebook on November 28, expressing concern that “I intended to convey the concern that the president is being reported not from the perspective of the general public but from extreme unfiltered minority opinions,” and stated, “I am sorry that social controversy is occurring contrary to my intentions.” However, he did not deny the content of the disclosure itself.
By Han-sol Koh, Reporter, sol@hani.co.kr