Lee Jun-seok, leader of the Reform Party, joined a protest in front of the National Assembly by Kim Han-na, 51, the wife of Master Sergeant Han Sang-guk, a hero of the Second Battle of Yeonpyeong who died in the line of duty, which People Power Party lawmakers had been carrying on. Lawmakers from the ruling Democratic Party of Korea are also said to be planning to join the protest, raising expectations for bipartisan cooperation.
At 11:30 a.m. on the 21st, Lee took part in a protest in front of the National Assembly calling for the passage of the Act on Support for Those Who Fulfilled Military Service (military additional points law) and the amendment to the Act on Compensation for Soldiers' Injuries. Since last month, Kim has been protesting in front of the National Assembly every Monday through Wednesday while running the group "A World for Heroes," urging the National Assembly to pass the bills.
So far, People Power Party lawmakers Woo Jae-joon, Kim So-hee, Jung Sung-kook, Cho Ji-yeon and Yoo Yong-won have joined the protest. With Lee joining the protest that day, the number of participating lawmakers became six. According to Kim, as Democratic Party lawmakers with military backgrounds have also expressed their intention to participate, the number is expected to grow.
That day, Lee said, "Regardless of the First and Second Battles of Yeonpyeong, it is the party's policy to provide necessary support to the service members who gave their lives to defend the West Sea," adding, "If there are cases in which those serving in the military do not return to their families, the state should express gratitude, and if there are those suffering aftereffects, it should bear unlimited responsibility."
The military additional points law that Kim is urging to pass would add points to written test scores when those who completed military service apply for open competitive recruitment for civil servants at grade 6 or below, and would exempt the interest on student loans under the income-contingent repayment scheme for a period equal to the service term. The amendment to the Act on Compensation for Soldiers' Injuries would pay disability compensation even when a former service member is diagnosed with a mental disorder such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) more than six months after discharge.
Kim said, "There is no ruling or opposition, and no left or right, when it comes to national veterans affairs. The military additional points law and the Act on Compensation for Soldiers' Injuries are issues that must be resolved quickly," adding, "Fortunately, some lawmakers in the Democratic Party of Korea, which holds a majority of seats, are showing interest, and I am grateful."
Earlier, in December last year, Kim also helped pass, by bipartisan agreement, an amendment to the Act on Compensation for Soldiers' Injuries that allows bereaved families to receive survivor pensions in accordance with the posthumous rank conferred on public officials who died in the line of duty. Kim held a one-person protest for a total of 39 weeks starting in June last year.