Jang Dong-hyuk criticizes call to restore September 19 agreement as "tiptoeing around North Korea’s feelings"

At a Financial News briefing on the 19th, People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyuk criticized Unification Minister Chung Dong-young’s statement that he would restore the September 19 inter-Korean military agreement, saying, "This tiptoeing around North Korea’s feelings has gone too far."
Speaking at a Supreme Council meeting at the National Assembly that day, Jang said, "As soon as Kim Yo-jong, vice department director of the Workers’ Party of Korea, issued a stern warning to come up with measures to prevent a recurrence, we are the ones who preemptively restore the no-fly zone and even say we alone will reinstate the September 19 inter-Korean military agreement that North Korea itself broke."
Earlier, on the 18th, Minister Chung said of the incident in which a civilian sent a drone into North Korea, "We view this as extremely grave," adding, "We officially express our regret to the North." His remarks came after Kim Yo-jong demanded measures to prevent a recurrence of such drone flights on the 13th. As follow-up steps, Chung announced that he would seek a partial restoration of the September 19 agreement and push to revise the anti-North Korea drone ban law.
Jang said, "They say they will charge our citizen who flew the drone with aiding the enemy and even move ahead with revising the anti-North Korea drone ban law," adding, "President Lee Jae-myung brushed off media criticism of his submissive stance toward the North by saying, 'Then should we take a hard-line stance and have a showdown?'"
He went on, "National security is not something to be bargained over," stressing, "The people do not want a submissive stance or a hard-line stance; they want a confident and dignified stance."
Referring to his recent back-and-forth with President Lee Jae-myung on social media over real estate policy, Jang argued, "The president’s social media should cover not only real estate, but also the exchange rate, prices, and jobs," adding, "Above all, the issue the president should be taking the lead on right now is tariffs."
He continued, "I do not understand why the president of South Korea seems so small in front of former U.S. President Donald Trump," urging, "If meeting with the opposition leader in person feels awkward, you communicate via social media, so if meeting President Trump also feels awkward, at least use social media to negotiate tariffs effectively."
haeram@fnnews.com Lee Hae-ram Reporter