Kim Jong-in, First to Criticize Moon Administration... Was He Conscious of 'Yodang' Criticism? (Comprehensive)

Kim Jong-in, Emergency Committee Chairman of the United Future Party, and Joo Ho-young, Floor Leader, are attending the Emergency Committee meeting held at the National Assembly on the 8th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporters Lee Ji-eun and Lim Chun-han] Kim Jong-in, Emergency Committee Chairman of the United Future Party, criticized the South Korean government's response to Kim Yo-jong, North Korea's deputy department head, saying, "I find it puzzling that our government is not responding confidently to North Korea." This came shortly after criticisms arose within the party that their opposition struggle power had weakened.

On the morning of the 8th, at the United Future Party's emergency committee meeting held at the National Assembly, Chairman Kim said, "At a time when our country's international status has risen higher than ever, it hurts the pride of our people to see North Korea say something to us and for us to appear to comply with it."

He added, "In the process of competition between the two systems divided by the South and North, we have overwhelming economic power to dominate the North, and our defense capabilities are also sufficient," and said, "I think it is necessary to have peaceful exchanges with North Korea as they are our compatriots, but we must not become a country that is unilaterally led around."

He continued, "A few days ago, the ambassador to the U.S. said that we are no longer a country that tiptoes between the U.S. and China, but a country with the status to choose which country to side with between the two," and pointed out, "I cannot understand why such a country cannot clearly speak out to North Korea and instead follows its lead."

Chairman Kim said, "I do not understand whether we are showing a submissive attitude to North Korea because we fear North Korea's nuclear weapons or so-called chemical weapons, or if there is another reason," and urged, "The government should clearly express its stance on inter-Korean relations going forward so that the pride of the people is not hurt."

This is the first time Chairman Kim has criticized the Moon administration since his inauguration. It appears he is conscious of criticisms that the opposition's struggle power has weakened amid the flood of 'left-leaning' issues such as the formal review of basic income. United Future Party lawmaker Jang Je-won criticized on Facebook that morning, saying, "Since Chairman Kim came in, the opposition's struggle power has significantly weakened. It has lost its wildness," and added, "In the emergency committee meetings, the words 'Moon Jae-in administration' and 'Democratic Party' have completely disappeared. I don't know if this is the 'opposition party' or the 'obedient party.'"

Lawmaker Jang said, "From the Yoon Mi-hyang scandal, the expulsion of lawmaker Lee Su-jin, impeachment remarks against judges, re-investigation of the KAL incident, demands for re-investigation of Han Myeong-sook, the Oh Geo-don scandal, the Geum Tae-seop controversy, the Kim Yo-jong leaflet prevention law, to the unilateral opening of the National Assembly and threats to sweep all standing committees, the opposition has fallen into an incompetent party that cannot highlight any of these issues or inform the public," and criticized, "Despite countless blunders, abuses, and arbitrariness by the Democratic Party, the emergency committee chairman, who is the party leader, has not uttered a single word of criticism."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.