Former People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon 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. Han urged public attention to national veterans' affairs as the deadline for reexamination applications for national merit status by sailors who fought in the First Battle of Yeonpyeong was one day away.
Han took part in a rally at 2 p.m. on the 9th in front of the National Assembly calling for the passage of the Act on Support for Military Service Completers (military extra points law) and the amendment to the Act on Compensation for Accidents of Soldiers. People Power Party lawmakers Park Jung-hoon, Bae Hyun-jin, Woo Jae-joon and Jung Sung-kook also attended.
Han said, "The warriors of the First Battle of Yeonpyeong are not being recognized for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Tomorrow, the 10th, is the very last deadline to apply for reexamination for national merit," adding, "People seem to think that recognizing (the sailors) for PTSD and as persons of national merit would give them hundreds of millions of won, but the amount is not even large."
He continued, "Shouldn't soldiers who fought in the First Battle of Yeonpyeong be given compensation and honor even if they were not physically injured?" and added, "Everyone should join in recognizing the honor of soldiers and reflecting on what kind of country Korea is. Soldiers should be treated properly."
The military extra points law, which Kim is urging to be passed, would add points to the written test scores when military service completers apply for open competitive recruitment for civil servants at grade 6 or below, and would exempt student loan interest for the length of military service when receiving an income-contingent student loan. The amendment to the Act on Compensation for Accidents of Soldiers would pay disability compensation even if a soldier is diagnosed with a mental disorder such as PTSD more than six months after leaving the service.
With allegations raised that multiple Democratic Party figures received donations from the Unification Church, Han criticized President Lee Jae-myung's mention of "dissolving religious organizations" as "a base threat." On calls among People Power Party lawmakers from the Yeongnam region to "break with Yoon Suk-yeol," he said, "It is time to move forward."
Han said, "At a time when it has come out that people in their own camp received (the Unification Church's) money, the talk of dissolving religious organizations is a base threat meaning, 'If you confess about the money given to the Democratic Party, we will destroy you,'" adding, "Rotten politicians who took money and valuables from the Unification Church should be punished and ousted regardless of camp."