The Ongoing Affection of the Democratic Party for North Korea: How Long Should We be Deceived?

On the 27th, during the comprehensive audit of the National Defense Committee of the South Korean National Assembly, a strong confrontation arose between Lee Jae-myung, the representative of the Democratic Party, and Minister Suh Wonsik of the Ministry of National Defense over the policy of pressure on North Korea. Representative Lee argued that pressure policies like the nullification of the September 19 Military Agreement could provoke North Korea and likened it to using police and force. In response, Minister Suh likened North Korea to a thief and the South Korean military to police, sparking a debate between the two sides on policies and security.

 

Through this debate, differences in understanding and perspectives on North Korean policy and defense, as well as strong opposition between the government and the opposition, have come to light.

 

Minister Suh's counterargument emphasized that North Korea has repeatedly violated the September 19 Inter-Korean Military Agreement in the Northwestern region over the past five years and insisted on its annulment. In response, Representative Lee asked, "Wouldn't it be much better to be in a situation where we don't have to go to war?" to which Minister Suh replied, "Creating a situation where there is no need for war lies in our powerful strength that shows North Korea has no chance of winning even if they wage war or provoke."

 

Furthermore, Representative Lee asked, "Do you acknowledge that the military clashes between North and South have decreased thanks to the September 19 Military Agreement? Will the threat of nuclear weapons from North Korea decrease if we annul the September 19 Military Agreement?" Minister Suh responded, "While direct clashes have decreased, it has become more dangerous because North Korea has strengthened its nuclear missile capabilities." He then argued that the September 19 Agreement should be suspended.

 

In response, Representative Lee emphasized the strength of the South Korean military, stating, "Korea's defense budget is larger than North Korea's GDP." He also mentioned the strong capability to pressure and suppress North Korea through the South Korea-U.S. military security alliance. Therefore, he argued that there is no need to continue pushing for a pressure policy, which was illustrated through the analogy of police versus force.

 

Minister Suh then stated, "Because there is diversity in liberal democracy, I respect (Representative Lee's opinion), but my thoughts are completely different."

 

One of the other topics discussed in the debate was the ideological battle over General Hong Beom-do and his statue. Minister Suh requested to view it from an adversary's perspective rather than as an ideological battle. When Representative Lee asked, "Is Hong Beom-do an enemy?" Minister Suh argued that General Hong Beom-do, as a Bolshevik in ideology, saved the country from the North Korean communist group and does not align with the identity of a traitor.

 

Through this debate, differences in understanding and perspectives on North Korean policy and defense, as well as strong opposition between the government and the opposition, have come to light. Such debates play a crucial role in addressing the complex issues of national security and reunification in South Korea.