Temperature Gap Between Ruling and Opposition Parties on 'Restoration of Inter-Korean Communication Line'… Ruling Party Calls It a "Breath of Fresh Air," Opposition Warns "No Blind Following"

On the 4th, a military official was sending and receiving faxes through the inter-Korean military communication line, which was restored after North Korea unilaterally cut off the inter-Korean communication line in protest against the South Korea-US joint military exercises.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jun-yi] The ruling and opposition parties showed differing reactions to the restoration of inter-Korean communication lines after 55 days. While the ruling party described it as a 'breath of fresh air' in inter-Korean relations, the opposition warned, "We must not blindly follow along."

The Democratic Party of Korea expressed a welcoming stance. On the 4th, Kim Byung-joo, spokesperson for the Democratic Party, stated in a commentary, "We hope that the restoration of inter-Korean communication lines will serve as a stepping stone for the swift reactivation of the denuclearization and peace process on the Korean Peninsula."

Spokesperson Kim said, "A breeze of hope has begun to blow into inter-Korean relations, which were on the verge of a stormy crisis," adding, "We pray that this restoration of communication lines becomes a prelude to peace."

He also said, "We must turn back the clock of inter-Korean dialogue through the reestablishment of the Joint Liaison Office and humanitarian aid," and "We should achieve substantial tension reduction on the Korean Peninsula as soon as possible, promote a declaration to formally end the war, and establish an irreversible milestone of peace regardless of any environmental changes between the two Koreas."

On the other hand, the People Power Party welcomed the move but emphasized that North Korea’s denuclearization is necessary for fundamental progress in inter-Korean relations.

Heo Eun-ah, chief spokesperson for the People Power Party, said in a commentary on the same day, "While we welcome inter-Korean dialogue, we must not blindly follow along."

She said, "We welcome the restoration of the inter-Korean communication lines and hope this measure leads to substantive inter-Korean dialogue," but added, "There are doubts about North Korea’s sincerity, as it repeatedly cuts off and restores communication lines unilaterally."

Spokesperson Heo said, "Last month, North Korea talked about restoring communication lines but launched missiles five times, significantly raising tensions before attempting to create a reconciliatory atmosphere, clearly aiming for a dramatic effect."

She continued, "The common international consensus is that North Korea’s denuclearization must come first for fundamental progress in inter-Korean relations and peace on the Korean Peninsula," adding, "Only the Moon Jae-in administration blindly followed North Korea’s 'dual-track strategy'."

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