Kim Hong-gul: "North Korea's losing deal... gave up nukes but received nothing"

Kim Hong-gul, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, is attending and speaking at the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee plenary meeting held at the National Assembly on the 16th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] Kim Hong-gul, the third son of the late former President Kim Dae-jung and the standing chairman of the National Council for Peace and Cooperation in Korea, and a member of the Democratic Party, stated on the 17th that there is "no need to be overly affected" by North Korea's demolition of the Kaesong Inter-Korean Joint Liaison Office and its hardline remarks toward the South, which have heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

On the same day on YTN Radio, Rep. Kim said, "After North Korea's 'Seoul will be a sea of fire' statement in 1994, a South-North summit agreement was reached within three months, and in 2017, after the ICBM launch, participation in the Olympics was announced within a month, easing the situation."

Rep. Kim pointed out, "North Korea's continuous flood of condemnatory statements feels quite emotional and excessive," adding, "There is no need to unconditionally appease the North with a submissive attitude."

He also said, "North Korea's unprecedented conciliatory approach in 2018 did not work, and in short, former U.S. President Donald Trump made North Korea engage in a 'business where they lose out,' only offering nuclear tests and missile tests without receiving anything in return."

Rep. Kim stated, "North Korea will not immediately carry out military provocations that cross the line or launch an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) from the start to cross the red line," but added, "They will resume missile launches and gradually escalate the use of weapons."

He noted, "In today's North Korean statement, there is a remark saying 'there is no need to talk with the South, which only does what the U.S. tells it to do,' so we need to pay attention," and emphasized, "We need to give the international community the impression that the South is boldly taking the lead."

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