Restoration of Inter-Korean Liaison Line... Ruling Party: "Moon Government's Achievement" vs Opposition: "No to Fake Peace Show"

Full Restoration of Inter-Korean Communication Line After 14 Months
Lee Nak-yeon: "Hope Another Opportunity Arises During President Moon's Term"
Chung Sye-kyun: "Applaud the Efforts of Moon Administration and President"
People Power Party Spokesperson Yang Jun-woo: "Answers Needed on Yeonpyeong Island Attack, Hacking, and March Missile Launch"

This is an image of President Moon Jae-in and Chairman Kim Jong-un raising their clasped hands high after signing the 'Panmunjom Declaration' at Panmunjom on April 27, 2018. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] As the inter-Korean communication hotline was fully restored at 10 a.m. on the 27th after 14 months, ruling party presidential candidates evaluated it as "a positive signal for inter-Korean relations." On the other hand, the opposition party welcomed the move but said, "Isn't this a show to use inter-Korean relations for domestic politics?" and added, "We need to receive responsible answers from the North regarding their fault in incidents such as the shooting of the West Sea public official."

Earlier on the 27th, Park Soo-hyun, Senior Secretary for Public Communication at the Blue House, announced at the Blue House, "South and North Korea have agreed to restore the inter-Korean communication hotline, which had been cut off, effective from 10 a.m. on the 27th."

He explained, "Since April, the South and North Korean leaders have exchanged several letters to communicate about restoring inter-Korean relations. In this process, they agreed to prioritize restoring the severed communication hotline," adding, "Both leaders shared the intention to quickly restore mutual trust and advance relations between the two Koreas."

He further added, "This restoration of the communication line is expected to positively contribute to the improvement and development of inter-Korean relations going forward."

◆ Ruling Party, "Warmly Welcome" "Support Moon Administration"

Song Young-gil, leader of the Democratic Party, wrote on his SNS on the day, "Like the sound of a shower on a parched land, this is refreshing news," and said, "I warmly welcome it." He expressed hope, saying, "After 68 years of armistice, there is much work to do. Starting with the full restoration of the inter-Korean communication hotline, opening the door to direct dialogue with North Korea will be a priority."

Candidates Chu Mi-ae (from the right), Lee Jae-myung, Chung Sye-kyun, Lee Nak-yon, Park Yong-jin, and Kim Du-kwan, who are running in the Democratic Party presidential primary election. Photo by Yonhap News

Following this, the Democratic Party's presidential candidates also unanimously expressed their welcome.

Lee Jae-myung, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, said, "The best way to solve problems is dialogue and communication. I hope this leads to the resumption of inter-Korean talks and restoration of trust," and proposed progress on the North Korean nuclear issue by stating, "South-North and North-US relations require mutual restraint from provocative acts to ease hostility and build trust."

Also, Lee Nak-yeon, former Prime Minister who experienced three inter-Korean summits during his tenure, said, "I welcome and support the bold steps restarted by President Moon Jae-in and Chairman Kim Jong-un," adding, "It reminds me of President Roh Moo-hyun's words, 'The river never gives up on the sea.' I hope another opportunity for inter-Korean relations will be created during President Moon's term."

Former Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun praised, "The restoration of the inter-Korean communication hotline is a great achievement of the Moon administration and a fulfillment of its promise to the people," and "I applaud the efforts of the Moon administration and the President."

Former Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae said, "The restoration of the direct inter-Korean hotline means that North Korea-US and inter-Korean relations are returning to the state before the second North Korea-US summit in Hanoi," and added, "We must recognize that a time of peace has come again and prepare firmly."

◆ Opposition Party, "Must Receive Answers for North Korea's Atrocities" "Hope It Does Not Remain a One-Time Show"

Meanwhile, the opposition party welcomed the restoration of the inter-Korean communication hotline but said, "It is regrettable that it has become a hostage to North Korea's demands."

Yang Jun-woo, spokesperson for the People Power Party, said in a verbal statement on the day, "I hope this communication restoration becomes an opportunity for communication, not a courtship," adding, "The inter-Korean communication hotline has been repeatedly cut off and resumed unilaterally according to North Korea's needs." He also pointed out, "When two-way communication based on mutual respect occurs, it is called 'dialogue,' but one-way communication is called 'courtship.'"

He emphasized, "We must receive responsible answers regarding North Korea's atrocities such as the shooting of a public official in the Yeonpyeong area after the hotline was cut, hacking attacks, and missile launches in March."

Hong Kyung-hee, chief deputy spokesperson of the People's Party, also expressed in a statement, "We welcome the restoration of the communication line, which is the minimum means of communication and dialogue channel between South and North Korea," but added, "It is very regrettable that the inter-Korean communication line has become a hostage to North Korea's demands," and "We must demand a progressive change in attitude from the North. A sincere apology and prevention of recurrence regarding the West Sea public official killing incident are prerequisites."

Opposition presidential candidate Choi Jae-hyung, former head of the Board of Audit and Inspection (left), and Won Hee-ryong, Governor of Jeju Province. / Photo by Yonhap News

Meanwhile, opposition presidential candidates also warned that the ruling party should not exploit this as a 'political show' ahead of the presidential election.

Former Board of Audit and Inspection Chairman Choi Jae-hyung said in a statement, "I hope it helps ease tensions between the two Koreas," but added, "We must never get carried away as if peace on the Korean Peninsula is just around the corner." He especially stressed, "It is meaningful only when sustainability is guaranteed," and earnestly hoped, "I sincerely hope that inter-Korean issues do not remain a one-time show for domestic political purposes."

Won Hee-ryong, Governor of Jeju Province, expressed concern, saying, "Inter-Korean relations must certainly be restored and move forward, but doing a show just to use it for politics in this way rather ruins inter-Korean relations." He criticized, "(The restoration of the communication line) is a North Korean cheat key (a game term for a trick known only to developers) used whenever a crisis comes while the country is mismanaged," and said, "The attempt to deceive the public with cunning tricks is very poor."

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