Ahn Cheol-soo: "President Moon, Do the People Come First or North Korea?"

"North Korea's Atrocities Must Be Held Accountable"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] Ahn Cheol-soo, leader of the People’s Party, stated on the 5th regarding the incident of the North Korean Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries official being shot, “North Korea’s atrocity of brutally shooting and burning our citizen must be held accountable,” adding, “That very day will be when the Republic of Korea becomes a truly sovereign nation, and President Moon Jae-in finally becomes a president worthy of the title.”

At the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly that day, Ahn said, “Is the people first, or is North Korea first? The people are now asking the president.”

Ahn criticized, “Is a country that does not prioritize the difficult lives of its people but instead spreads money through populism, a country where high-ranking officials trample on the healthy values and common sense of the people, a country that remains silent, moved only by a letter of condolence, even though its citizens were shot in concentrated fire, burned, and their bodies lost somewhere in the sea, truly a sane country?”

He continued, “How does the current government of the Republic of Korea and President Moon appear? Even though our citizens were shot and burned, they only offered excuses like ‘We never imagined it would happen.’ The regime’s loyalists are busy evading responsibility, saying ‘Could the previous government have saved them?’ They are relentless in dismissing the rightful demands of the people to rescue our citizens as political attacks and agitation.”

He added, “There is no trace anywhere of the state’s responsibility and role, nor of the president’s duty and concern. Beyond anger, sorrow wells up. Are we truly only capable of having such a pathetic level of government?”

Ahn stated, “Currently, six of our citizens are detained in North Korea. One of them has been held for over six years, and two others for more than five years. Our government has never made any substantial efforts for their repatriation,” adding, “It’s not just them. About 500 surviving Korean War POWs and 516 post-war abductees have yet to return to their families. Why can’t we boldly request their repatriation from North Korea and appeal to the international community?”

Ahn sharply questioned, “I ask President Moon and the power holders of this regime: Have you ever felt even one percent of the debt of gratitude you owe to former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk as regret toward the families of abductees and POWs? Have you spent even one ten-thousandth of the effort poured into saving Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae’s son on rescuing and bringing back our citizens?”

Ahn concluded, “Whether alive or dead, whether they left at the call of the state or not, bringing Korean citizens back to their families is the role and raison d’?tre of the nation. If the president and government have neither the ability, plan, nor will to rescue our citizens, then there is no reason for their existence.”

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