Opposition: "Cover-Up of Hormuz Attack"... Ruling Party: "Political Strife for Local Elections"

People Power Party Holds Solo National Defense Committee Plenary Session on May 11

On May 11, the People Power Party criticized the government over the attack on the Namwoo at the Strait of Hormuz, stating, "Even though the Republic of Korea has been attacked, the Ministry of National Defense is solely focused on covering it up." They convened a full meeting of the National Defense Committee and demanded an urgent inquiry into the government regarding the incident. In response, the Democratic Party of Korea countered, "The claim that we are avoiding a standing committee meeting is a distortion of the facts," and added, "Isn't this being used as a political tool for the local elections?"

That afternoon, National Defense Committee members from the People Power Party held the full committee meeting alone to conduct an urgent inquiry on the matter. Neither the government nor the ruling party attended the session, and People Power Party lawmakers criticized the government and the ruling party for what they called a complacent response.

Seong Il-jong, National Defense Committee Chairman from the People Power Party, said, "An incident equivalent to a wartime situation occurred in the Strait of Hormuz, where our citizens were attacked and even injured. Nevertheless, the ruling party refuses to agree to a full National Defense Committee meeting on the grounds that the responsible ministry is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of National Defense is overseas."

He continued, "Despite my two official requests for a face-to-face briefing from the Ministry of National Defense, they responded as if it were someone else's affair, saying there was nothing to report, and even failed to attend today's urgent inquiry. This is, in effect, a dereliction of duty," he criticized.

Kang Dae-sik, another People Power Party lawmaker, also pointed out, "The attack on our Korean-flagged vessel at the Strait of Hormuz was not a simple ship accident, but a serious security threat targeting both Korean citizens and the nation's logistics security. The government repeatedly used ambiguous expressions such as calling it a ship fire or saying the attack was unconfirmed, thereby downplaying the incident and responding ambiguously, which only heightened public anxiety."

Lim Jong-deuk, another People Power Party lawmaker, raised the issue of responsibility by saying, "Our vessel was attacked, yet the Minister of National Defense, the head of our military, was on a business trip to the United States. We also requested related data from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but they have outright refused to submit any materials."

On the other hand, the Democratic Party refuted the People Power Party's claims, calling them a distortion of the facts. Kim Young-bae, a Democratic Party lawmaker, said, "Saying that the Democratic Party is avoiding the standing committee meeting is a distortion of the facts," and countered, "Isn't the People Power Party using this issue as a political tool for the local elections?"

Assemblyman Kim explained, "The first investigation is being conducted by a joint investigation team led by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. As for the unidentified flying object, a detailed confirmation from the Ministry of National Defense is necessary. Cooperation with U.S. agencies is also progressing smoothly."