North Korea Announces 'Communication Line Cut'... Ruling Party Calls for "Ban on Sending Leaflets to North Korea," Opposition Says "Submissive Diplomacy Is the Problem"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] The ruling and opposition parties showed starkly contrasting reactions to North Korea's announcement on the 9th at noon that it would completely cut off all communication lines connecting the South and North. While the ruling party pointed out the harmfulness of anti-North Korea leaflets (ppira) and vowed to accelerate the enactment of a prohibition law, the opposition party raised voices criticizing the government and ruling party's humiliating diplomacy toward North Korea.

On the morning of the 9th, Cho Jung-sik, Policy Committee Chairman of the Democratic Party of Korea, said at a floor strategy meeting held at the National Assembly main building, "The most direct cause is the backlash against the distribution of anti-North Korea leaflets by some defector groups." He pointed out that North Korea took issue with the leaflets distributed by defector civic groups.

Chairman Cho emphasized, "The leaflet distribution has been regarded as an obstacle to inter-Korean relations and should be boldly dealt with on this occasion," adding, "Since conservative groups have announced plans to distribute large quantities again, the government must take strict measures. We will actively prepare legislative countermeasures to prevent recurrence of the situation."

He also criticized North Korea's actions, saying, "For any reason, destroying the trust painstakingly built between the South and North cannot be justified," and "As the most basic premise for easing military tensions and suppressing the threat of war, which are essential for a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula, abandoning this is a regression to confrontation and hostility of the past." He urged, "Please immediately retract the decision to terminate all inter-Korean communication channels and actively cooperate in implementing the agreed matters."

Democratic Party lawmaker Yoon Gun-young, former head of the Blue House National Planning Situation Office, highlighted the seriousness of North Korea's communication line cutoff and termination. Appearing on MBC radio on the morning of the same day, Yoon said, "The military communication line functions at least as a safety valve," and added, "Looking at the current situation as it is, it is indeed a very serious matter." Regarding the cause of the incident, he said, "There have been many agreements through the April 27 Panmunjom Declaration and the September 19 Pyongyang Summit. This can be interpreted as the accumulated result of those agreements not being properly upheld," and cited "the distribution of anti-North Korea leaflets as a representative example, which was part of the agreement between the South and North leaders in the April 27 Panmunjom Declaration."

On the other hand, Joo Ho-young, floor leader of the United Future Party, said in an interview on CBS radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' on the morning of the same day, "When Kim Yo-jong, the First Deputy Director, made a remark and used abusive language, the ruling party immediately said, as if waiting for it, 'Leaflets are harmful and we will ban them,'" and questioned, "By continuously taking such a submissive and servile stance, isn't North Korea's attitude becoming more arrogant and insolent?"

Lee Jong-bae, Policy Committee Chairman of the United Future Party, also criticized, "Despite the anticipated breakdown in inter-Korean relations, the relevant authorities have remained silent without any countermeasures," and said, "While unable to utter a single word against North Korea's insulting and wrongful actions, they mention the anti-North Korea leaflet prohibition law to the public, emphasize a submissive attitude toward North Korea, and only show enthusiasm for exchange and cooperation projects. It is truly a pathetic and dismal North Korea policy."

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