Hong Jun-pyo "Only Parliamentary Strife Over North Korea's Ballistic Missile... Feels Like Party Conflict"

North Korea has conducted its ninth ballistic missile launch this year, prompting Hong Joon-pyo, the mayor of Daegu, to criticize, saying, "North Korea is putting on a missile fireworks display, while the pathetic National Assembly is caught up in factionalism and engaged in political strife day and night." This appears to target the ongoing heated debate between ruling and opposition parties over allegations of U.S. wiretapping and surveillance.

On the 13th, Mayor Hong raised his voice through his social media (SNS), stating, "North Korea seems to have hung up a map of South Korea and even scheduled target points, conducting missile fireworks daily. Yet, ignoring this, the pathetic National Assembly continues political strife day and night, caught up in factionalism. It feels like watching the factional disputes between the Easterners and Westerners just before the Imjin War over 600 years ago."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

He said, "Now is the time to strengthen the South Korea-U.S.-Japan free alliance to counter the North Korea-China-Russia socialist alliance," adding, "The moment the balance of power is disrupted, the Korean Peninsula will be engulfed in disaster. Shouldn't we handle Korea-Japan and Korea-U.S. relations from that perspective now?"

Mayor Hong has previously raised critical voices against the political circles' indifference to North Korea's provocations. On the 22nd of last month, he pointed out, "They have incredible nerve. Even when a tactical nuclear mock test capable of killing millions in a single strike is conducted, there is no serious sense of crisis, and it is not treated as an important issue. The lives and safety of 50 million people are at stake, yet there is such remarkable indifference and nerve."

On the 28th of the same month, he said, "At a time when public opinion supporting nuclear armament exceeds 70%, where are those who still spout the absurd claim of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula? National security should have prepared for even a 1% possibility, but those who deceived the public with talk of inter-Korean peace and engaged in pro-North activities?can they still label me as far-right?"

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