'Betrayal' Turmoil Between Ruling and Opposition Parties... "Hard to Believe" vs "Nuclear Power Plant Gate"

Lee Nak-yeon, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is giving opening remarks at a meeting with the sports community to support COVID-19 damage relief, held at a fitness center on Gyeongin-ro, Guro-gu, Seoul, on the 28th. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Cheol-eung] The ruling and opposition parties are engaged in an extreme confrontation over the so-called 'treasonous act' controversy.

On the 30th, Lee Nak-yeon, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, wrote on Facebook, "I doubted my eyes after reading the remarks of Kim Jong-in, the Emergency Committee Chairman of the People Power Party," adding, "Chairman Kim claimed that 'the Moon Jae-in administration shut down South Korea's nuclear power plants and secretly planned to build nuclear power plants for North Korea.' He also criticized the government and its energy transition policy with harsh expressions such as 'treasonous act,' 'illegal civilian surveillance,' and 'gate'."

He continued, "If there was something in a public official's computer folder, are you saying that it was naturally promoted during the inter-Korean summit? If so, that is an utterly baseless speculation. It is common sense that the state does not operate that way."

Lee said, "Yoon Gun-young, a lawmaker who was in charge of the summit affairs at the Blue House at the time, as well as the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of Unification involved, all deny and protest. Then what is the basis for such claims? Could it be that you made such a distorted statement because of the by-election?" he criticized.

He concluded, "I believe that taking responsibility for words and writing in politics is the starting point of responsible politics. I think it is right for Chairman Kim to responsibly clarify his remarks."

Following lawmaker Yoon Gun-young of the Democratic Party the day before, Yoon Young-chan, who served as the Senior Secretary for Public Communication at the Presidential Office, also wrote on Facebook on the same day, "The North Korean nuclear power plant review materials were internal documents simply reviewed at the Ministry of Industry as an idea in preparation for future inter-Korean economic cooperation," adding, "The Board of Audit and Inspection and the prosecution, who work with taxpayers' money, should not degrade themselves by colluding with conservative opposition parties and conservative media to manufacture political strife and conflict."

The People Power Party is strongly countering. Former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min said, "Even an elementary school student can think that our government tried to promote the construction of a nuclear power plant in North Korea based on the revealed evidence, but the Blue House and the Democratic Party are not addressing the facts of the file contents but are nitpicking criticisms from the opposition party and responding arrogantly, which is like a thief feeling guilty."

He added, "Instead of threatening the opposition with fake news and legal actions, the Blue House should simply reveal what was in the 'Ppoyoiseu Bukwonchu' file, what was on the USB given by President Moon to Kim Jong-un at the Dobodari meeting, and what instructions the president gave immediately after the summit, disclosing the facts as they are."

Former lawmaker Na Kyung-won also said, "A president who cannot even hear a single criticism of the regime from the leader of the main opposition party is not a president befitting a democratic country," adding, "It is pathetic to think that the pitiful excuse that it was a simple review at the working level would be accepted. The truth of the 'Nuclear Power Plant Gate' must be revealed."

Independent lawmaker Hong Joon-pyo, who has been at odds with Chairman Kim, also said, "Chairman Kim Jong-in's remarks on the Moon administration's treasonous act related to nuclear power plants are not a bit wrong, but the Blue House threatening legal action is truly shocking."

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