'Peace Despite Shelling' Remarks... United Future Party Says "Unification Minister Sides Only with North Korea"

Lee In-young, Minister of Unification, is paying respects at the National Seoul National Cemetery in Dongjak-gu, Seoul on the 30th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] On the 30th, after paying respects at the National Cemetery, Minister of Unification Lee In-young said, "Only those who call for peace in the midst of a war where shells are pouring down are more just," prompting the United Future Party to react, saying, "Are you siding with North Korea again?"

Kim Eun-hye, spokesperson for the United Future Party, stated in a commentary on the 31st, "This is not something a South Korean minister should say at the National Cemetery, where the patriotic spirits who sacrificed their lives defending against North Korea's invasion and young soldiers who gave their blossoming lives rest," expressing her opposition.

She added, "Do the people have to watch a Minister of Unification who sides with North Korea again?" and criticized, "Minister Lee's visit to the National Cemetery, appointed amid controversy, was like a 'warm iced coffee' with conflicting appearances and substance."

Spokesperson Kim pointed out, "Although it has been less than two months since the inter-Korean joint liaison office, built with taxpayers' money, was shattered to pieces, this government has yet to utter a single word of protest or demand for apology, fearing it might provoke North Korea," and criticized, "Calling it a humanitarian issue, there is already concern that the 'vicious cycle of humiliation' of being at North Korea's mercy will be repeated."

Professor Kim Geun-sik of Gyeongnam National University, chairman of the Songpa-byeong party committee of the United Future Party, also wrote on Facebook that "Calling for peace while the enemy is firing shells is like a pseudo-religious shamanistic peace that chants spells instead of going to the hospital while a son is dying," and "Calling for peace despite North Korea threatening with nuclear weapons and missiles is a servile peace that relies solely on the goodwill of the master and obeys the master like a slave."

Professor Kim emphasized, "We must remember that Chamberlain, who agreed to Hitler's invasion of Czechoslovakia saying young people should not shed blood, became a sinner of history, and Churchill, who declared war on Germany saying 'there can be no peace with a dictator like Hitler,' became a hero of World War II," and criticized, "Minister Lee's naive view of peace, calling for peace despite North Korea firing shells and missiles, is something a member of the South Korean Cabinet should never say."

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