Shin Dong-geun "Ha Tae-kyung Leads Distortion of Civil Servant Shooting Incident" vs Ha Tae-kyung "Government Claims 'Defection Theory' to Avoid Responsibility"

Shin Dong-geun, member of the Democratic Party of Korea. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Yeon-ju] Shin Dong-geun, the senior member of the Democratic Party of Korea, on the 5th, criticized Ha Tae-kyung, a member of the People Power Party, who accused the government of bringing up the theory of defection to the North as a way to evade responsibility regarding the maritime affairs official who was shot and killed by North Korean soldiers, saying, "As a three-term senior member of the Republic of Korea's main opposition party, he should speak responsibly."

Shin, attending the Democratic Party's Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly that day, said, "It seems that Representative Ha has not deviated an inch from the black-and-white logic of being either pro-North or anti-North," expressing suspicion.

He added, "Regarding the incident of our official being shot by North Korea, the People Power Party is engaging in patchwork, misreading, and distortion if necessary, and Representative Ha is at the forefront of this."

He continued, "Just as a biotechnologist manipulates genes with gene scissors, as a political engineer, he seems to think he can selectively choose facts and create truth," and claimed, "The People Power Party shows a double standard by accepting the Ministry of National Defense's announcement that North Korea shot and mutilated the official but ignoring the defection theory."

Shin said, "Before the Coast Guard announced its interim investigation, the Ministry of National Defense had already made an official statement saying the shot official tried to defect to the North, was shot by North Korean soldiers, and his body was mutilated," and questioned, "Is it acceptable to have such a convenient and arbitrary attitude on a security issue, of all things?"

He then sharply criticized, "Because of this, the People Power Party is being criticized for confirmation bias and spreading misinformation."

Ha Tae-kyung, member of the People Power Party. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Earlier, on the 3rd, Representative Ha stated on Facebook, "In this West Sea incident, the South Korean government labeled the missing official as a defector without decisive evidence," and argued, "The defection theory, which the government brought up to reduce its own responsibility, kills the victim twice and worsens inter-Korean relations."

Ha said, "President Moon Jae-in is making North Korea's relations with the U.S. and integration into the international community more difficult," and added, "Although it seems like he is pursuing a pro-North line, in reality, he is making North Korea more isolated."

In response, Shin said, "He claimed that the president is pushing the defection theory to evade responsibility and, as a result, is engaging in anti-North behavior that worsens North Korea's situation," and questioned, "Should the government have distorted the facts to fit Representative Ha's wish that it was not defection?"

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