[Anchor]
During the National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee's parliamentary audit today (October 27), clashes between the ruling and opposition parties intensified over raw criticism labeling the commander of the United States Forces Korea (USFK) as arrogant. Meanwhile, regarding remarks by U.S. Ambassador Steel that South Korea-U.S. relations are experiencing turbulence, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun indicated that there are no problems in bilateral ties.
Reporter Han Sung-hee reports.
[Reporter]
Regarding USFK Commander Brunson, who stated that the Republic of Korea begins at the southern barbed-wire fence of the Demilitarized Zone, a Democratic Party lawmaker said the following during the parliamentary audit:
[Lee Gi-heon / Democratic Party Lawmaker: "Among all past commanders, none has been as insolent as Brunson."]
[Song Seok-jun / People Power Party Lawmaker: "Please exercise some restraint in your choice of words."]
The Democratic Party pushed back, saying it could not accept this.
[Lee Gi-heon / Democratic Party Lawmaker: "It is not as if I used vulgar profanity, and I demand an apology."]
[Woo Won-shik / Democratic Party Lawmaker: "Why does the committee chair reprimand calling an arrogant attitude arrogant?"]
The confrontation further escalated as the People Power Party took issue with the Democratic Party's stance.
[Park Chung-kwon / People Power Party Lawmaker: "I think we can see why South Korea-U.S. relations are deteriorating."]
Foreign Minister Cho Hyun stated that he had conveyed a message of protest to U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Steel regarding Commander Brunson's remarks.
Cho also explained that the two had settled the matter smoothly regarding Ambassador Steel's comments that South Korea-U.S. relations were going through "turbulence."
[Cho Hyun / Foreign Minister: "I told him that when an airplane passes through turbulence, there is no problem as long as you fasten your seatbelt tightly, and (Ambassador Steel) agreed with me."]
Minister Cho also emphasized the government's firm determination regarding the early transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON), which has been cited, primarily by the opposition, as a cause behind theories of a rift in the alliance.
[Cho Hyun / Foreign Minister: "As a sovereign state, we naturally ought to have it. Furthermore, holding ownership increases accountability, which is why I believe the sooner, the better."]
He added that he had heard from the U.S. side that the timing and details of the OPCON transfer are converging.
Regarding the delay in the issuance of a U.S. visa for Democratic Party lawmaker Jung Chung-rae, Minister Cho stated that he would raise the issue with Secretary Rubio, whom he is scheduled to meet soon.
(Video by Lee Seung-hwan and Shin Dong-hwan | Video Editing by Wi Won-yang)
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