"People Are Dying, Can't We Report at Dawn?" Ruling Party Furious Over President Reporting Procedure Remarks

Yoon Geon-young, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, is attending the Post-Corona and Korea Full Change Forum held at the National Assembly Members' Office Building on June 16. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] Criticism continues to surround the remarks made by ruling party figures regarding the execution of Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries official Mr. A by North Korean forces. In particular, there is a flood of criticism over claims that reporting to President Moon Jae-in during the early morning hours was unnecessary. It is pointed out that questioning the reporting procedures while our citizens are in a crisis situation is incomprehensible.

Yoon Gun-young, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, stated in an MBC radio interview on the 28th that regarding the fact that related ministers held a meeting at the Blue House in the early morning of the 23rd and did not immediately report Mr. A’s killing to President Moon, "When the report was made at 2:30 a.m., the measures the president could take were very limited."

He also said, "Intelligence was received at 10 p.m., so why wasn’t it reported immediately to the president? For intelligence to become meaningful information, time is needed. It was reported after verification."

Regarding the criticism from the People Power Party about President Moon’s speech at the UN on the 23rd, which mentioned a 'Declaration of the End of the War,' Yoon said, "The speech was recorded a week before the incident and sent to the UN. I don’t understand how they expect it to be changed."

Yoon emphasized, "Former President Lee Myung-bak, upon receiving a report that a citizen was shot at Mount Kumgang in 2008, proposed full inter-Korean dialogue in his National Assembly opening speech, and former President Park Geun-hye attended a DMZ meeting the day after the 2015 landmine incident and called for a Ganggangsullae (traditional Korean circle dance). This is not to say the two former presidents were wrong, but considering overall state governance, such actions are understandable."

Seol Hoon, a Supreme Council Member of the Democratic Party of Korea, is deep in thought during the Supreme Council meeting held on the morning of June 29 at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Meanwhile, fellow party member Seol Hoon defended President Moon’s absence from the security meeting held at the Blue House, saying it was "an issue that could be left unreported."

Seol appeared on KBS’s 'Sasa Geongeon' in the afternoon and said, "There are National Security Council (NSC) meetings that the president attends and those he does not. The NSC meeting was held between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m. by related ministers, but does the president have to attend? No, he doesn’t. It is something that can be skipped."

He raised his voice, saying, "Is it something to report to the president while he is sleeping at dawn? Was there a battle? It was not a state of armed conflict. Would you wake the president at 3 a.m. to report? Where in the world does such reporting exist?"

Regarding the People Power Party’s criticism comparing President Moon’s response to the Sewol ferry disaster during the Park Geun-hye administration, Seol said, "This is not right. Knowing that the person had crossed into North Korea, what means would there be to rescue him? The only way to rescue is to fight and bring him back. Criticizing for not rescuing is just unreasonable."

Seol positively evaluated North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un’s apology letter. He said, "Since the Korean War, there has been no case of the North’s top leader apologizing to the South. The whole world is surprised by this."

He continued, "Looking at the content, it cannot be said that it is insincere. It says twice that it was wrong and apologizes. If someone says this is meaningless, that is a story that does not align with the facts."

The fishing patrol vessel "Mugunghwa 10," on which Mr. A (47), a public official from the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries' West Sea Fisheries Management Unit who went missing in the northernmost waters of Yeonpyeongdo in the West Sea and was shot and killed by North Korean forces, was aboard, returned to the West Sea Fisheries Management Unit in Mokpo, Jeollanam-do, from Yeonpyeongdo, Incheon, on the morning of the 26th. The photo shows the Mugunghwa 10 anchored in the waters off Yeonpyeongdo early that morning before departure. [Image source=Yonhap News]

He added, "Evaluations of North Korea may differ precisely between the ruling and opposition parties, but at least in this case, I think we should report and judge calmly and accurately. I have no intention of defending North Korea, but I believe that the status of the Republic of Korea will be restored by reporting the facts accurately, acknowledging what North Korea did wrong, and denying what it did not."

Some citizens are outraged by the ruling party figures’ so-called claims that early morning reporting to the president was unnecessary. They argue that it is incomprehensible from the public sentiment to raise procedural issues while our people are in a crisis.

Mr. Kim, a company employee in his 40s, said, "When a person is dying, to argue whether to report at dawn or not sounds like the reporting procedure is more important than a life. After all, isn’t it the voters who elected and delegated various powers through voting?"

Another office worker in his 30s, Mr. Lee, said, "Early morning reporting may not be important, but to speak so confidently as if it were nothing is inappropriate." He added, "What if reporting at dawn could have saved our people? How would the story change then? It’s very frustrating."

Meanwhile, President Moon, in his opening remarks at the Blue House senior secretaries and aides meeting that day, said, "No matter how divided the situation is, this should never happen," emphasizing, "It is urgently necessary for both North and South to clarify the facts and prepare practical measures to prevent recurrence."

He also described the incident as "very regrettable and unfortunate," expressing "deep condolences and sympathy for the grief and sorrow of the bereaved families, regardless of the circumstances that led the victim to North Korean waters."

He continued, "I fully understand the shock and anger felt by the people," and said, "Regardless of the reasons, as a government responsible for protecting the lives and safety of the people, I feel deeply sorry."

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