"Push for Ratification of Panmunjom Declaration" vs "Moon Government's North Korea Policy Failure" North Korea Blasts Inter-Korean Liaison Office, Ruling and Opposition Parties Clash

North Korea Blows Up Kaesong South-North Liaison Office on 16th
Song Young-gil "Pursuing National Assembly Ratification of April 27 Panmunjom Declaration"
Park Jin "Moon Government's North Korea Appeasement Policy Failed"

On the 16th at 2:49 PM, North Korea reportedly blew up the Kaesong Joint Liaison Office building, and the Kaesong Industrial Complex area viewed from the border area in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, is engulfed in smoke.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] The ruling and opposition parties expressed contrasting reactions to North Korea's demolition of the Kaesong Inter-Korean Joint Liaison Office building on the 16th. While the ruling party expressed regret, it also announced plans to push for the parliamentary ratification of the Panmunjom Declaration. On the other hand, the opposition party condemned the Moon Jae-in administration's North Korea policy as a failure and called for drastic measures.

On the 17th, Song Young-gil, chairman of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee from the Democratic Party, announced plans to seek parliamentary approval for the April 27 Panmunjom Declaration.

On the same day, Song appeared on CBS Radio's "Kim Hyun-jung's News Show" and said regarding the North's demolition of the liaison office, "This is very regrettable as it is a situation that should be resolved through dialogue," adding, "It seems their grievances have accumulated a lot. Even so, such an act of demolition is a significant shock and regrettable."

When asked about measures at the parliamentary level, he responded, "I think parliamentary ratification of the April 27 Panmunjom Declaration is necessary."

Song added, "It is necessary to calmly soothe this issue. We need to simultaneously carry out efforts to calm the other side in various ways and to do what we can. It is crucial to strongly emphasize that further provocations are absolutely unacceptable, and at the same time, mutual efforts are needed to return to the spirit of the April 27 agreement."

Democratic Party spokesperson Song Gap-seok also expressed that the parliamentary ratification of the Panmunjom Declaration remains valid. After the party's Supreme Council meeting, he told reporters, "Despite North Korea's provocations, we will proceed without disruption with the parliamentary ratification of the Panmunjom Declaration as part of doing our duty."

There were also opinions advocating for a declaration to formally end the war. Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Kyung-hyup wrote on his Facebook on the same day, "A declaration to end the war is necessary not in a peace regime but in a state of war." In a post the previous day, Kim said, "With the risk of military provocations increasing, why a declaration to end the war? That's exactly why we need it."

Kim Yo-jong, First Deputy Director of the Workers' Party of Korea. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Meanwhile, the United Future Party pointed to the Moon Jae-in administration's North Korea policy as the cause of North Korea's demolition of the liaison office and stated that a firm response to North Korea's provocations is necessary.

Park Jin, chairman of the United Future Party's Foreign Affairs and Security Special Committee, attended an emergency meeting held at the National Assembly main building on the 16th and said, "This shows that the Moon Jae-in administration's misguided conciliatory policy toward North Korea has failed," adding, "Even now, the Moon administration must fundamentally change its North Korea policy."

He continued, "North Korea must refrain from further provocations. North Korea gains nothing from military provocations."

Cho Tae-yong, a member of the same party and former first deputy director of the National Security Office under the Park Geun-hye administration, also criticized, "The North Korea policy pursued by the Moon Jae-in administration over the past three years was declared by North Korea itself as something it could no longer accept," adding, "It was a policy built not on realistic conditions and truth but on vain hopes and mistaken expectations."

Lawmaker Cho Su-jin also raised her voice, saying, "It is time to realize the true nature of the North Korean regime and break free from illusions," and "We must firmly respond to North Korea's threats and provocations. We must remember that humiliating negotiations with North Korea can destroy inter-Korean relations from the root."

North Korea reportedly blew up the Inter-Korean Liaison Office around 2:50 p.m. on the 16th, according to the Korean Central News Agency on the 17th. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Spokesperson Bae Jun-young also criticized in a statement that day, "The current administration's conciliatory policy toward North Korea has ended in failure. We have now reached a point where we must worry about larger military provocations and possible direct harm to our citizens beyond threats and intimidation."

He added, "The government must seriously recognize the current situation and take seriously the fact that North Korea has defined us not as compatriots but as enemies," emphasizing, "Since North Korea's threats have been executed in action rather than words, the military authorities and government must prepare thoroughly with extraordinary resolve."

Meanwhile, North Korea demolished the liaison office located in the Kaesong Industrial Complex on the 16th. The liaison office opened in Kaesong in September 2018 following the 'Panmunjom Declaration' agreed upon by the South and North Korean leaders on April 27 of that year. However, with this demolition, it disappeared after 19 months of operation.

This came just three days after Kim Yo-jong, first deputy director of the North Korean Workers' Party, warned of the demolition. On the 13th, Kim issued a statement saying, "Soon you will witness the miserable sight of the useless North-South Joint Liaison Office collapsing without a trace," foreshadowing the building's demolition.

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