Ahn Cheol-soo: "Moon's Silence on North Korean Human Rights Led to South Korea Losing Board Membership... Lee's Pro-Japanese Agitation is Self-Destructive"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Ahn Cheol-soo, a presidential candidate from the People Power Party, criticized Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, for his claim of 'anti-Japanese defense,' saying, "Pro-Japanese agitation is self-harm to our diplomacy."

On the 12th, Ahn posted on his Facebook, "Now is the time to restore South Korea's broken diplomacy," and said, "Before Leader Lee talks about 'pro-Japanese defense,' I hope he looks back on the diplomacy and security that the Democratic Party has ruined."

He also claimed that South Korea's failure to secure a seat on the UN Human Rights Council was due to the previous administration's 'silence on North Korean human rights.' He explained, "People I met in Washington were shocked yet found it understandable that South Korea was outvoted by Bangladesh, Maldives, Vietnam, and Kyrgyzstan," adding, "There were high international expectations for former President Moon Jae-in, who was known as a human rights president, but disappointment accumulated as he remained silent on North Korean human rights."

Ahn said, "This failure shows how much international trust in South Korea's diplomacy has declined," and criticized, "Over the past five years, the Democratic Party government consistently took a humiliating stance toward North Korea and China, while uniquely launching emotional offensives against Japan as if to sever diplomatic ties immediately."

He continued, "This approach not only raised concerns in the United States, which desires trilateral security cooperation among South Korea, the U.S., and Japan, but was also regarded as an incomprehensible attitude among allied countries," adding, "The result of the Democratic Party government's ruined diplomacy is now returning as such humiliation."

Ahn criticized the opposition party and Leader Lee, saying, "If we want to exert international influence as an advanced country, we must earn the trust of other nations through a cool-headed diplomatic strategy and a responsible attitude toward human rights issues," and "If diplomacy and security are exploited for domestic politics, we will never be able to escape the small framework of a conflict-ridden Korean Peninsula."

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