Concerns Surrounding Former and Current Presidents: Gominjeong and Nakyeongwon's Military Confusion

Gominjung "Yoon seems like a student feeling inferiority complex toward Moon of People Power"
Na Kyung-won "North Korea recently declared nuclear use, a tragic result of Moon administration's 5 years"

Gominjeong, Supreme Council Member of the Democratic Party of Korea. / Photo by Dongju Yoon doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] The debate between Ko Min-jung and Na Kyung-won, two politicians, over the defense and rebuttal surrounding former and current presidents is a hot topic. Ko Min-jung, Supreme Council Member of the Democratic Party of Korea, recently called President Yoon Seok-yeol's criticism of the Moon Jae-in administration's North Korea policy in a foreign media interview "spitting on one's own face." On the other hand, former People Power Party lawmaker Na Kyung-won said that former President Moon's message emphasizing the need for inter-Korean dialogue on the 4th anniversary of the September 19 military agreement "still acts as Kim Jong-un's chief spokesperson even after leaving office."

On the 19th, Ko posted on Facebook, "President Yoon's New York Times (NYT) interview while departing to attend Queen Elizabeth II's funeral and the UN General Assembly was unbelievable," and criticized, "It is the first time I have seen a sitting head of state disparage and criticize his predecessor while going abroad."

In the NYT interview released on the 18th, President Yoon described former President Moon as "a student who seemed obsessed with only one friend (North Korea) in the classroom," and stated, "We will completely revise the previous administration's diplomatic policy, which took an ambiguous stance between the U.S. and China."

On the other hand, on the same day, former President Moon, in a written congratulatory message at the 4th anniversary commemorative forum of the September 19 military agreement, said, "Without dialogue, there is no peace. Trust will begin with keeping promises agreed upon between the South and the North," revealing a clear difference in stance on North Korea issues between the former and current administrations. He also emphasized that the inter-Korean agreements "should be respected and implemented even if the government changes."

Regarding this, Ko said, "Rather, in my eyes, President Yoon looks like a student who feels inferior to a student named Moon Jae-in," and pointed out, "If he wants to be a class president recognized and trusted not only by our class but also by neighboring classes, he should put down his inferiority complex, open his ears more, and meet more people."

She added, "Moreover, the Board of Audit and Inspection's audit of the previous administration is like dusting off, and the People Power Party is accusing Democratic Party lawmakers and former government officials at every turn. Aren't both the Board of Audit and Inspection and the People Power Party tightly bound by inferiority complexes toward the previous government?" and "Recently, the Democratic Party proposed the Audit and Inspection Political Intervention Prevention Act. The Democratic Party will play the role of the legislative branch to prevent the collapse of the separation of powers."

Former Assemblywoman Na Kyung-won [Image source=Yonhap News]

Conversely, voices criticizing former President Moon's message emphasizing dialogue with North Korea emerged from the ruling party.

Former lawmaker Na Kyung-won wrote on Facebook, "Former President Moon's message is, in a word, a self-praising evaluation that the Moon administration's inter-Korean military agreement was well done," and "North Korea recently promulgated the Nuclear Force Policy Act, specifying five conditions for nuclear use, declaring its status as a nuclear-armed state and its readiness to use nuclear weapons at any time. This is the tragic result of the Moon administration's five years," directly attacking.

She continued, "Is President Moon's mention obsession? Or denial of reality?" and said, "The result is that throughout the five years, the Moon administration appealed for North Korea's denuclearization will, but North Korea's nuclear capabilities only advanced."

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