Political fur flies after North’s declared test

Chairman of the Democratic Labor Party Mun Sung-hyun, chairman of the Grand National Party Kang Jae-sup, chairman of the Uri Party Kim Geun-tae, President Roh Moo-hyun and chairman of the Millennium Democratic Party Hahn Hwa-kap, from left.

Opposition asks for president’s apology; ruling party defends North policy

Leaders of South Korea’s major political parties expressed strong and differing opinions regarding North Korea’s declared nuclear test at a meeting with President Roh Moo-hyun on October 10.

The main opposition Grand National Party called on the government to immediately stop inter-Korean economic projects and to change its North Korean policy. However, the ruling Uri Party and minor opposition Democratic Labor Party and People Center Party defended the two inter-Korean projects - tours to Mount Geumgang (Kumkang) and the industrial complex in the North Korean border city of Gaeseong (Kaesong).

Kang Jae Sup, the leader of the Grand National Party, urged all cabinet ministers to resign and for the president to make a public apology. "North Korean policy should be remapped," Kang said. The party’s floor leader, Kim Hyong-O, said the government should stop the tour project to Mount Geumgang, calling it a cash cow for North Korea.

But Chung Jin-Suk, the floor leader of the conservative People Center Party, said the government needs to guide bilateral talks between North Korea and the U.S. The party’s leader, Shin Kook-hwan, added, "If we stop the Mount Geumgang tours, we stand to lose more." Millennium Democratic Party leader Hahn Hwa Kap said, "If we halt the Mount Geumgang and Gaeseong projects, we will lose more than North Korea due to capital flight and other reasons."

On the possibility of changing the government’s policy of engaging North Korea, Democratic Labor Party leader Kwon Young-Ghil said, "although I understand why the government says it is reconsidering the engagement policy [in the wake of the declared nuclear test], we need to think about [the consequences of] having a Korean peninsula without such an engagement policy."

Millennium Democratic Party floor leader Kim Hyo-seuk urged the government to take a firmer stance with the North, saying, "Since the engagement policy is based on the North’s denuclearization, it must be declared that we cannot coexist with a nuclear North Korea."

Kim Geun Tae, the leader of the ruling Uri Party, proposed prime-minister-level talks with North Korea, saying he agreed with a need for direct talks between North Korea and the U.S. "It’s inappropriate that the government stops inter-Korean economic projects or halts humanitarian aid to North Korea." Uri Party floor leader Kim Han-gil agreed, saying the government’s policy of engagement with North Korea should not be denounced unconditionally.