Ahn Cheol-soo: "Forward Defense Worse Than Security Guards at Local Jewelry Stores"

"Abnormal North Korea Policy Must Be Reformed"

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] Ahn Cheol-soo, leader of the People’s Party, strongly criticized not only the Moon Jae-in administration but also the military authorities for the failure in security when a North Korean man swam across and defected on the 18th. Ahn said, "In short, the current level of frontline security has collapsed," and pointed out, "It is even worse than the security guards at a local jewelry store."

At the People’s Party Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly that day, Ahn referred to the defection of the North Korean man, saying, "Not only a wooden boat but now a duck foot. He swam across using a duck foot. Following ‘knock defection’ and ‘overnight defection,’ this is called ‘sleep defection’ because he was discovered while sleeping."

Ahn Cheol-soo, leader of the People’s Party, is attending the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 18th and delivering opening remarks. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

He continued, "Why has our security posture become like this?" and questioned, "Is it that we lack the ability to protect it, or was there never the will to protect it in the first place?" Ahn argued, "The situation has come to this not because the soldiers who have been guarding the country without taking leave for months due to COVID-19 are at fault, but because of the fundamental and structural cause: North Korea is being condemned by the international community for hacking COVID vaccine technology, yet our abnormal North Korea policy is desperate to provide vaccines we do not even have."

Ahn said, "The president must clearly state who is threatening our security and who is currently the target of our military surveillance," and urged, "We must abandon the foolish idea that the South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises can be negotiated with North Korea, and clearly state that the joint exercises can never be a bargaining chip in inter-Korean relations."

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