Kim Jong-in Criticizes Moon's North Korea Policy as "Lenient"... When Asked by Joo Ho-young, "No Contact Yet" (Summary)

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy reporters Lee Ji-eun and Lim Chun-han] Kim Jong-in, Emergency Committee Chairman of the United Future Party, criticized the Moon Jae-in administration's North Korea policy as being complacent, stating, "The idea that we can achieve North Korea's denuclearization by our own power while in a divided state is a delusion." He also pointed to the 'Yoon Mi-hyang incident' as an example, saying, "Civil society organizations have become politicized and turned into a kind of power institution."

On the morning of the 18th, at the United Future Party's emergency committee meeting held in the National Assembly main building, Chairman Kim said, "The North Korea policy pursued by the Moon administration so far started from a very complacent mindset, which inevitably led to the current situation."

He added, "It is time to reestablish the inter-Korean issue by learning from past experiences," and emphasized, "This is not something we can decide entirely on our own. Some people think that since we have become the 10th largest economy and can be independent diplomatically, we can handle inter-Korean issues as we please, but that is different from reality."

Referring to how West Germany and the United States diplomatically coordinated their relationship until German reunification, he questioned, "Can South Korea achieve what is not accomplished in North Korea-US talks by its own power?" He urged, "The Moon administration must abandon its current stance on inter-Korean relations and attempt to establish a new framework for inter-Korean relations."

Regarding the case of Representative Yoon, Chairman Kim said, "Looking at reality, from the Cho Kuk incident to the recent Yoon Mi-hyang incident, one cannot help but doubt whether civil society organizations have functioned according to their original purpose." He added, "We must make a sober judgment on whether allowing these civil society organizations to collect donations and continue receiving government subsidies can truly achieve justice and fairness in our country."

Concerning the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), he also pointed out the need for tuition refunds for university students. He said, "University students have not even been able to attend classrooms and are about to enter summer vacation, so it is only natural for them to ask for tuition refunds since they have not properly attended lectures." He recommended, "In the process of preparing the 3rd supplementary budget, clearly set policies regarding university tuition so that universities can operate with peace of mind."

Regarding the 3rd supplementary budget and the 2nd disaster relief fund, he stated, "The government had no choice but to inject finances, leading to the 3rd supplementary budget," and added, "Now, please make a sober judgment to prevent unnecessary waste of finances."

Meanwhile, Joo Ho-young, the floor leader who expressed his intention to resign in protest against the unilateral assignment of standing committees, had not indicated any intention to return as of that day. When a reporter asked Chairman Kim if he had been in contact with Floor Leader Joo, he replied, "There has been no contact yet," and added, "He will come back someday." When asked if they could give all 18 standing committees to the Democratic Party of Korea, he answered, "They are forcibly taking them, so they have no choice but to take them."

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