On the 10th, the fourth day of his hunger strike, Park Joon-young, representative of the Free University, who had been protesting to draw public attention to President Yoon Suk-yeol's impeachment trial amidst the continued severe cold, was taken to the hospital emergency room. ⒸHanmi Ilbo

On the 10th, the fourth day of his hunger strike, Park Joon-young, representative of the Free University, who had been protesting to draw public attention to President Yoon Suk-yeol's impeachment trial amidst the continued severe cold, was taken to the hospital emergency room.

Amidst growing concern and worry among patriotic conservatives, the 'Association of Patriotic Civic Groups Supporting Free University (Representative Cho Yang-geon)' issued a statement on the 10th, proclaiming, "We are witnessing a reality where the most basic human rights and the foundations of democracy are being undermined in this land."

Procedural Justice Disappears as Trial is Pressured

The statement declared with fervent emotion, "If the prosecution and the courts trample on the rights of the people and fail to guarantee the right to defense, it goes beyond a mere procedural issue to become a grave human rights violation and a direct challenge to democracy."

It further stated, "The current situation is a national crisis where political frames engulf the courtroom, low-level politics, degraded into pawns of the Chinese Communist Party, mock the judiciary, manipulated public opinion obscures the truth, and the trial is pressured, leading to the disappearance of procedural justice."

The statement resolved, "In response, Representative Park Joon-young of the Free University's decision to undertake a hunger strike in the bitter cold is a desperate plea risking his life and a warning to our entire society. We will never turn away from this struggle and will fight alongside until the end against the tyranny of power that tramples on human rights and justice."

Regarding the fundamental cause of this hunger strike, it stated, "It lies in the judiciary, which has become a tool for those who seized power through fraudulent elections, failing to fulfill its duty to uphold the law and conscience." It emphasized that Representative Park Joon-young's hunger strike is "a struggle of an unyielding will, born from deep anger at this reality and the desperate need to protect President Yoon Suk-yeol's right to defense."

It continued, "A fair trial is not a favor from power but an inherent right that all citizens should enjoy, and depriving the right to defense is an act of destroying democracy." It declared that this would never be tolerated.

Stop Human Rights Violations and Guarantee the Right to a Fair Trial Defense

Furthermore, the statement raised its voice, stating, "Even at this moment, the voice of resistance through hunger strike is the voice of all of us, and its cry will surely shake society and lead to change."

It also demanded proactive cooperation from the opposition party, the People Power Party, stating, "They must step forward on their own and respond to the voice of the people with action before the people call them out."

The statement conveyed its position, "Recently, U.S. President Trump has been taking decisive measures to hold accountable dictators who have threatened freedom and the rule of law through fraudulent elections. Many citizens actively welcome this, and earnestly hope that this wave of change will quickly extend to the Republic of Korea."

Finally, it declared, "We declare: we will not yield to the false power that oppresses human rights and will fight until the end to protect liberal democracy. The hunger strike will never be in vain, and its purpose will surely lead to victory. We demand that the human rights oppression against President Yoon Suk-yeol cease and that the legitimate right to defense guaranteed by the Constitution be thoroughly ensured."

Meanwhile, regarding President Yoon Suk-yeol's impeachment trial, Representative Park Joon-young had been on a hunger strike in front of the west gate of the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, since the 7th, pleading, "The December 3rd martial law was not an act of rebellion. Do not ignore the will of the people and render a just verdict."

Reporter Lim Yo-hee