Lee Jae-myung on Yoon Seok-yeol's 'Preemptive Strike Theory': "Am I a Child Playing with Fire in a Powder Keg?"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jin-young] Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, strongly condemned North Korea's repeated missile test launches on the 12th, labeling them as provocations. Regarding his opponent Yoon Seok-yeol, the People Power Party presidential candidate, who raised the idea of a 'preemptive strike,' Lee demanded a retraction, saying, "It feels like watching a child playing with fire inside a powder keg."

On the afternoon of the same day, Lee made these remarks while announcing the recruitment of security experts at the party headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, criticizing, "This can be seen by the international community as an incitement to aggressive war and could be interpreted as a declaration of war."

He directed his criticism at Yoon, asking, "Why are you provoking a war crisis by talking about a preemptive strike?" and raised his voice, saying, "No world leader speaks lightly about a preemptive strike. It is completely inappropriate to mention such things in situations like weapons tests or missile launches."

He continued, "This can only be evaluated as an irresponsible act that takes political advantage at the expense of the safety of the people and the nation," emphasizing, "The outdated agitation that uses national security for election campaigns and threatens safety must be stopped."

Lee added, "Deeply concerned about the dangerous war provocations, I request that Candidate Yoon retract his preemptive strike remarks now for the safety of the people and the country's economy," and concluded, "There is no distinction between ruling and opposition parties on security issues. I once again urge bipartisan cooperation for peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula."

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