"Why Did He Plunge All of Ukraine into War Like a Fool?"

"Why did he foolishly plunge the entire Ukraine into war and drive countless young people to their deaths?"

This was not about Russian President Vladimir Putin. It was the assessment of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivered by Representative Song Young-gil of the Democratic Party of Korea on October 26 during a comprehensive parliamentary audit of the Ministry of National Defense. On that day, Rep. Song was criticizing a remark made in May by Gen. Xavier Brunson, commander of United States Forces Korea, who referred to South Korea as a "dagger" from China's perspective. Warning that viewing South Korea as a dagger or an aircraft carrier could provide neighboring nations with an excuse for aggression, he moved on to the topic of Ukraine.

The controversial remarks were made during questioning directed at Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul. Citing 19th-century figures such as Saigo Takamori and Jacob Meckel to interpret the history of Northeast Asia, Rep. Song suddenly stated that "Zelenskyy did something wrong." He asked, "Why is he struggling so desperately to join NATO?" He added, "If a NATO missile base is established in Crimea, would any Russian president tolerate that?" Depending on the listener, this remark could sound like a justification for Putin's invasion.

Representative Song Young-gil's full remarks are attached below.
 
As a lawmaker, it is legitimate to protest when a USFK commander publicly treats our territory as an offensive weapon. However, it is questionable whether he really needed to bring up a nation where more than 600,000 citizens lost their lives to an invasion in direct violation of international law. There are ways to explain the harsh logic of power in international relations without going so far as to call another nation's head of state a "fool."

Behind the "fool" remark appears to be the ruling camp's discomfort toward Ukraine following the disclosure of the "repatriation of North Korean prisoners of war." However, Rep. Song is a six-term lawmaker who even served as chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee of the National Assembly. Each of his words carries diplomatic weight. Unless the goal is to prompt the severing of diplomatic ties, remarks about Ukraine from political circles now need to be cautious. From modern warfare experience against North Korea and cutting-edge drone technology to participation in post-war reconstruction projects estimated at 1,200 trillion won, South Korea has no small amount to gain from exchanges with Ukraine. Furthermore, South Korea continues to join the international community's sanctions against Russia.

Experts pointed out that the political sphere also needs to help both nations cease unbeneficial emotional conflicts and seek diplomatic solutions. 
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.