 |
|
Kim Geun-tae, chairman of the ruling Uri party, presides over a meeting.
|
Ruling party says GNP just stirring up security fears
Political circles are sharply divided over the government’s plan to take over wartime military control from the U.S. The main opposition Grand National Party (GNP) called it a "dangerous and complacent idea," blasting President Roh Moo-hyun’s pursuit of taking over the control, while the governing Uri Party countered that the GNP’s argument is wholly politically motivated and intended to stir up security concerns. Im Jong-seok, a Uri Party lawmaker and a member of the National Assembly’s foreign affairs, unification, and trade committee, said, "No country in the world can deal with national defense on its own. But none in the world has put their wartime military command in the hands of another country, either." He called GNP opposition to the government’s plan "very irresponsible." Uri Party spokesman Woo Sang-ho also expressed his displeasure with the GNP’s stance. "Even the U.S. says that South Korea is capable of having the command back, so why does the nation’s main opposition party continue to say that we cannot, and ask for the U.S. to stick to its command authority?"Choi Jae-cheon, another Uri Party lawmaker, joined in the criticism, saying that the GNP is bent on instigating unnecessary concern among citizens. "Taking back wartime control is not about the withdrawal of U.S. troops from here, nor the breakup of a mutual defense treaty between the two nations," he said. GNP members held back-to-back meetings to discuss countermeasures against the government’s plan to take over wartime military operational control. Sources said that the GNP is also planning to organize a policy hearing with the nation’s defense minister on the issue. "By 2009 or 2012, President Roh will be out of political circles, but he is talking about the wartime operational control issue, which is closely related with national defense, as he [currently] has the whole sway [on the decision]," said Kang Jae-sup, chairman of the GNP. He blasted President Roh for being too complacent in dealing with national defense, but proposed a one-on-one meeting with him to find common ground on the issue.
