Kim Jong-in "Anger at North Korea's Barbaric Behavior... Was the Government Hotline a Sham?"

Kim Jong-in, the Emergency Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, is attending the Emergency Committee meeting held at the National Assembly on the 24th and delivering an opening remark. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporters Kim Hyemin and Lim Chunhan] Kim Jong-in, Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, said on the 24th regarding the incident in which a government official went missing and was shot near the Northern Limit Line in the West Sea by North Korea, "It is frustrating that such a serious incident where our citizen was killed could be completely unknown like this."

Chairman Kim held an Emergency Response Committee meeting at the National Assembly that morning and said, "It is reported that the official died from North Korea's gunfire and was even cremated without any consent. I cannot help but feel anger at North Korea's barbaric behavior."

He criticized the government for failing to properly grasp the situation until the official was cremated, saying, "I want to ask whether the hotlines and communication channels promoted so far were just a fiction." He then emphasized, "Please take a firm stance toward North Korea and take action. The details of the incident must be thoroughly revealed."

Chairman Kim said, "North Korea has not changed at all since the 2008 Park Wang-ja incident (the killing of a tourist in Mount Kumgang) or now," and added sharply, "Their nuclear and missile capabilities have advanced, and human rights issues have become more serious." He also criticized the government, saying, "North Korea has not changed, yet President Moon Jae-in was still talking about a declaration to end the war yesterday," and pointed out, "It is irresponsible to talk about this without any guarantees regarding national security and the safety of the people."

He urged, "Please break away from idealism and look at the reality of inter-Korean relations to protect peace and achieve progress in relations."

Regarding the possibility of large-scale outdoor rallies during the Chuseok holiday, Chairman Kim also requested restraint, saying, "Since this holiday is the critical moment for the resurgence of COVID-19, it is appropriate to cooperate as much as possible with the guidelines of the quarantine authorities."

He said, "It is natural for the public to express anger over the Moon Jae-in administration's failures," but emphasized, "However, sometimes restrained anger can spread public consensus and ultimately have great impact." He continued, "Considering that this government is skilled at dividing the people, there is also a convincing concern that this could be exploited as an excuse to cover up government failures," and warned, "Because the government and ruling party are likely to exploit this, public anger could be triggered. I warn you again."

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