▲ President Lee Jae-myung, on a state visit to Mexico, walks to lay a floral tribute at the Altar to the Fatherland in Mexico City on September 24 (local time).
South Korea's rival political parties clashed on Friday, September 25, over President Lee Jae-myung's harsh criticism of the conservative opposition, which had denounced the government's policy of keeping the repatriation of North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) secret.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) earlier in the day, President Lee expressed regret toward Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for disclosing the repatriation of two North Korean POWs to South Korea, thereby breaching a mutual agreement to keep the matter confidential. Responding to criticisms regarding the administration's non-disclosure stance, President Lee harshly stated, "Those who compromise lives and national security for the sake of taking credit are murderers and traitors."
Shin Hyun-young, spokesperson for the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, said in a commentary, "President Zelenskyy revealed the repatriation of the North Korean soldiers to the world despite a non-disclosure agreement between South Korea and Ukraine. This not only breaches mutual trust between the two nations but is also a dangerous move in terms of national security."
Spokesperson Shin continued, "What matters most right now is ensuring thorough personal protection for the two repatriated individuals," urging Ukraine to explain the circumstances surrounding the disclosure while actively cooperating on follow-up measures to guarantee their safety.
Shin warned, "The Lee Jae-myung administration has not the slightest intention of boasting about or politically exploiting the repatriation of the North Korean soldiers. The People Power Party must not escalate this matter into a political feud."
Shin added, "We call on them to refrain from making groundless allegations or demanding disclosures that could reveal the identities of the protected individuals and the specific details of their protection, and to actively cooperate in measures to ensure their safety. The Democratic Party will fulfill its necessary role so the government can focus on foolproof personal protection and responsible diplomatic responses."
In contrast, Chung Jeom-sik, floor leader of the ruling People Power Party, wrote on Facebook, "Disclosing the repatriation of North Korean POWs to South Korea is merely a matter of timing, and it is right to make it public.
Why, then, did the government suddenly become obsessed with keeping it confidential?" He criticized, "Were they that afraid of upsetting Kim Jong-un? Is that fear stemming from vulnerabilities related to the 'illicit remittance to North Korea' case?"
Chung directly attacked the president, saying, "President Lee poured out accusations using extreme words such as 'cruelty,' 'irresponsibility,' 'murderers,' and 'traitors' in response to the People Power Party's questions about why the repatriation was concealed. The administration is begging the North Korean regime for a fake peace and groveling in the face of all kinds of provocations. You are the real traitors."
Lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo wrote on Facebook, "If we cannot even independently announce the repatriation of POWs out of fear of how North Korea might react, that is not even a proper country. The more the president's affection toward North Korea grows, the more our national security becomes paralyzed and our diplomacy becomes incompetent."
Lawmaker Kim Yong-tae also stated, "It is bizarre that President Lee is displaying such obvious discomfort and criticizing President Zelenskyy. This will only fuel suspicions that walking on eggshells around the North Korean regime is tied to his own political survival."
Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon argued, "President Lee, who bluffed that he would 'ruin anyone who touches a South Korean,' kept his mouth tightly shut over North Korea's landmine attack and is only enraged because the North Korean POWs were revealed. The Lee Jae-myung administration's security standard is merely 'whether it hurts the feelings of North Korea's Kim Jong-un regime.'
This is because they are compromised by Kim Jong-un, who was on the receiving end of the remittance sent to North Korea on behalf of Lee Jae-myung."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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