People Power Party Floor Leader Chung Jeom-sik urged today (August 11), "Defense Minister Ahn Kyu-back's very existence is a mockery of the military," demanding that "President Lee Jae-myung must dismiss the Defense Minister immediately."

Speaking at a floor strategy meeting held at the National Assembly today, Floor Leader Chung stated, "Recent bizarre remarks by Minister Ahn are drawing severe criticism. During his visit to the Korea Air Force Academy in June, he introduced the phrase 'chubyeon-bulgyeong'—meaning to remain calm even when the situation changes—attributing it to Mao Zedong, and emphasized that Mao's personal motto is also his own motto."

He went on to criticize, "In an administration that cannot even answer who our main enemy is, a Defense Minister suspected of desertion is proudly spouting Mao Zedong's motto as if it were a golden rule in front of military academy cadets. Exactly which country's military and which country's minister is he?"

He pointed out, "There is even a theory that 'chubyeon-bulgyeong' was originally said by President Chiang Kai-shek, not Mao Zedong. This means he adopted it as his own motto without even knowing its origin," adding, "Because such a figure occupies the ministerial post and turns the ROK military's distinction between friend and foe upside down, our national security is rotting from within."

Floor Leader Chung emphasized, "This is why frontline units are standing guard with empty guns and nearly opened fire by mistake on a U.S. military drone," stressing that "Minister Ahn is disqualified on the grounds of the desertion suspicion alone."

Regarding the government and ruling party's decision to reexamine the revision plan for Individual Comprehensive Asset Management Accounts (ISA) and legislation to prevent stock price suppression, he noted, "When our party criticized their rushed policy push, the Democratic Party of Korea protested, asking if they should push ahead with a policy once it is set even when the public points out problems."

He then argued, "That is right. But why did you push ahead to the end with the abolition of supplementary investigation authority, which the public pointed out numerous problems with? Why did you push through the Yellow Envelope Law and the 'gag' bills regardless of public concern and worry?"

He urged, "Stop the shameless politics of thoroughly defying public sentiment when you should follow it, only invoking public sentiment when stubbornly shielding amateurish state administration."

(Photo: Yonhap News)