'Lee Jae-myung's Rising Sun Flag' Remark... Ruling Party Launches Full-scale Attack: "Is It Okay to Hang the Japanese Flag?"

Jung Jin-seok "Following Moon's Promise of Kim Jong-un's Denuclearization, Another Reckless Remark Undermining South Korea's Security"
Seong Il-jong "Can't Say a Word About North Korea's Nukes... Is It Okay to Get Caught with Gonggi?"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy reporters Lee Ji-eun and Kwon Hyun-ji] Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, stated regarding the trilateral joint East Sea exercises between South Korea, the United States, and Japan that "there is a real possibility that the Rising Sun flag could be raised again on the Korean Peninsula." In response, the ruling party leadership launched a full-scale offensive, calling it a "frivolous historical consciousness."

Jung Jin-seok, emergency committee chairman of the People Power Party, criticized on social media on the 11th, saying, "Lee Jae-myung's 'theory of Japanese troops stationed in Korea' is one of the two major falsehoods and reckless remarks that undermine South Korea's security, following Moon Jae-in's 'Kim Jong-un denuclearization promise theory.'"

He also mentioned that unlike the late Joseon period, South Korea is now an economic and military power. Chairman Jung emphasized, "Japan swallowed the collapsing Joseon dynasty, and Joseon had no power to defend itself. That was the situation in the late Joseon period. The Moon Jae-in Blue House's National Communication Office briefed on December 26 last year that 'South Korea ranks 6th in the world in military power, making it a military powerhouse.' The U.S. military assessment agency that released this survey again evaluated South Korea's military strength as 6th in the world this April."

Chairman Jung questioned, "Would our young people entering Osaka through Kansai Airport in Japan sympathize with the claim that 'if we conduct maritime training with Japan, the Japanese military with the Rising Sun flag will land on our soil, and a situation like the late Joseon period will occur'?" He added, "I hope they do not mislead the public with a frivolous historical perception."

Seong Il-jong, chairman of the Policy Committee, also rebutted Lee's remarks during the National Assembly inspection countermeasure meeting that day, saying, "In 2007, during the Roh Moo-hyun administration, a Japan Self-Defense Force warship flying the Rising Sun flag entered Incheon Port, and this trilateral joint exercise was agreed upon during the Moon Jae-in administration. To the former Presidents Roh Moo-hyun and Moon Jae-in, I would say, are you sure you have the right address?"

Chairman Seong also emphasized South Korea's national power, saying, "South Korea is proudly among the world's top 10 advanced countries," and criticized, "Do not try to deceive the public by dressing up your intention to escape judicial risks with shallow pro-Japanese accusations that only worked decades ago as 'extreme pro-Japanese' rhetoric."

He added, "Both the U.S. and Japan face the threat of North Korea's nuclear missiles. When a crisis comes, why is it considered extreme pro-Japanese to conduct joint training among countries sharing universal human values?" He questioned, "Those who worry so much about national defense, why can't they say even one word telling North Korea not to even dream of nuclear tests?"

He continued, "I ask Leader Lee: who developed nuclear weapons? Who directly threatened by targeting our critical facilities?" He added, "You said the Rising Sun flag could be raised on the Korean Peninsula, so does that mean the South Korean flag is allowed to be raised?"

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