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| Members of the main opposition United Future Party kneel in front of the main chamber at the National Assembly, Seoul, Wednesday, to observe a moment of silence to honor George Floyd and express their opposition to all types of discrimination. Korea Times photo by Oh Dae-geun |
By Kim Rahn
Korean lawmakers have expressed their opposition to all forms of discrimination including racism, in response to the recent death of George Floyd in the United States.
Nine lawmakers of the main opposition United Future Party, led by Rep. Han Moo-kyung, knelt in the lobby of the main chamber of the National Assembly, Wednesday, to observe a moment of silence for the black American man who was killed by a Minneapolis police officer.
Their tribute lasted for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, which is how long the white police officer pressed his knee on Floyd's neck, just as U.S. Democratic lawmakers including Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi did on Capitol Hill, Monday.
"The racism issue taking place in the U.S. is not just a story happening in another country; it is an issue affecting people of all countries as it damaged human dignity, which is the universal value of humankind," Han said.
"We'll bear in mind the warning issued by the George Floyd incident and renew our commitment, as lawmakers, to protesting discrimination based on race, gender, disability, religion and regionalism and place the highest value on human dignity."
Among the participating lawmakers were Kim Ye-ji, a visually impaired former pianist who became the first lawmaker to be allowed to bring a guide dog to the main chamber of the Assembly, and Lee Jong-seong, an expert in welfare for the disabled, who himself is in a wheelchair due to polio which he suffered during childhood.
