Seong Il-jong: "It is true that there were problems with Joseon leadership in the late Joseon period" vs Kim Byung-joo: "Historical blasphemy"

Sung Il-jong, "Trilateral Military Drills with the US and Japan, Framing as Pro-Japanese Is a Self-Destructive Act That Harms the Nation"
Kim Byung-joo, "It's Like Bringing a Tiger Cub Home Because It’s Not Seen as a Threat"

Regarding Chairman Jung's Remarks: "Logic Used by Traitors" vs "Opposition Party Resorts to Pro-Japanese Framing Again Amid Crisis"

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Ju-yeon] The political dispute between the ruling and opposition parties, which began with Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, criticizing the South Korea-U.S.-Japan joint military exercises, appears to be escalating beyond the 'pro-Japanese vs. pro-North Korea' frame into a historical debate.

On the 12th, Seong Il-jong, Policy Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, appeared on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' and defended Emergency Response Committee Chairman Jeong Jin-seok's remarks that sparked the 'colonial historiography' controversy, saying, "It is true that there were problems with the leadership that led Joseon during the late Joseon period."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Earlier, Chairman Jeong had used expressions such as "The Joseon dynasty was incompetent and ignorant" and "Joseon was rotten from within" while criticizing Lee Jae-myung's remarks about the possibility of Japanese troops being stationed in Korea, which drew criticism from the opposition party.

Chairman Seong explained, "(Chairman Jeong's remarks) comprehensively addressed how the country fell when the leadership, who were politically obsessed and unable to see international affairs, acted in certain ways."

Regarding the Democratic Party's criticism of this as 'colonial historiography,' he said, "The essence is international cooperation to respond to North Korea's nuclear threat," adding, "Accusing someone of being pro-Japanese and talking about colonial historiography is not a fundamental issue." He further pointed out, "Knowing the essence of what Chairman Jeong said, they are now, under pressure, adding such pro-Japanese accusations again."

To Lee, who pointed out the pro-Japanese defense issue, he retorted, "We must accurately know who the enemy is," and said, "Is Japan currently firing missiles or making nuclear weapons? We must precisely identify who the enemy is and who is targeting us." He continued, "It is clearly North Korea's nuclear missiles aimed at us, and framing the South Korea-U.S.-Japan military exercises as pro-Japanese is a self-destructive act that ruins the country as a leader," criticizing it as "an unthinkable act."

However, the Democratic Party repeatedly expressed concerns that Chairman Jeong's remarks are "historical blasphemy" and that the South Korea-U.S.-Japan military exercises could cause them to lose sight of North Korea's denuclearization and future security issues.

On the same day, Kim Byung-joo, a four-star general and Democratic Party lawmaker who served as the deputy commander of the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command, appeared on the same radio program as Chairman Seong and criticized, "(Chairman Jeong's remarks) directly reflect colonial historiography," adding, "It was the logic used by Japanese forces when they occupied Joseon."

He said, "I was shocked that such logic, once spoken by traitors like Lee Wan-yong domestically, came from the mouth of the ruling party's leader," and countered, "At that time, Joseon established the Korean Empire and struggled to become a strong nation. Nevertheless, Japan occupied it, and there were cases where righteous armies rose up and fought fiercely in resistance."

Regarding the South Korea-U.S.-Japan military exercises pointed out by Lee, he said, "The exercises are being strengthened tremendously compared to past governments, and if this continues, it will inevitably slide into a South Korea-U.S.-Japan military alliance."

He added, "A military alliance means sharing everything, and Japan's Self-Defense Forces could enter Korea, just as the U.S. is currently stationed here," and said, "In the future, Japan will continue to claim sovereignty over Dokdo and pose a threat in the East Sea. It's like inviting a tiger cub into your home, thinking it won't be a threat." He also emphasized, "China and Russia are increasingly opposing this, making it difficult to achieve North Korea's denuclearization," stressing that it does not help with North Korea's denuclearization.

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