Han Dong-hoon: "North Korea Has Leverage Over President Lee"... Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee Meeting Disrupted as Cho Hyun and Chung Dong-young Stay Away

[Financial News] The plenary meeting of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee was disrupted on the 30th as the government and ruling party did not attend. The meeting was held at the request of the People Power Party, but the Democratic Party of Korea, Minister of Unification Chung Dong-young, and Foreign Minister Cho Hyun were all absent.
Song Suk-joon, chair of the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, said, "The committee floor leaders of the two parties had been negotiating, but they did not reach a final agreement. I deeply regret that we are proceeding with the meeting without sufficient consultation and agreement between the committee floor leaders of the two parties."
The People Power Party also lambasted President Lee Jae Myung for failing to make a clear statement on the explosion in the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in his capacity as commander-in-chief of the Republic of Korea's military.
Kim Dae-shik, the People Power Party's committee floor leader, said, "North Korea claimed early this morning that the DMZ explosion was a staged act and categorically denied responsibility. Isn't this exactly the kind of day when the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and the Ministry of Unification (MOU) should come to the National Assembly and explain the situation to the public?"
He continued, "At a grave moment for the country, I ask the chair to issue a strong warning about the fact that the Democratic Party of Korea has effectively boycotted the meeting and not a single person from MOU or MOFA has attended."
Kim Geon, a lawmaker from the People Power Party, said, "I deeply regret that ruling-party committee members and officials from MOFA and MOU ultimately failed to attend today, when diplomatic and security issues drawing intense public attention are piling up. Even if the parliamentary audit is approaching, it is not advisable to delay explaining the issues the public is immediately curious about."
Kim also pointed out that Cheong Wa Dae's decision to protest President Volodymyr Zelenskyy over his breach of a confidential agreement on the repatriation of North Korean troops was also clumsy. He said, "It could have quietly expressed regret through diplomatic channels and explained the matter to the public. Given that the war is still ongoing, and considering postwar reconstruction cooperation and the possibility of further prisoner-of-war repatriations, the public airing of differences between the leaders should have been handled more cautiously."
Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon said, "North Korea has leverage over President Lee Jae Myung personally—not the Republic of Korea—because of the Lee Jae Myung administration's remittances to North Korea," and argued that the government should respond confidently and resolutely. Han also said, "The Lee Jae Myung administration cannot say a peep to North Korea, while it only growls at Ukraine," assessing that it was taking its irritation out on the international community. The plenary meeting ended after just over an hour, with the Democratic Party of Korea and the ministers of the relevant ministries absent.
[email protected] Kim Kyung-soo and Song Ji-won Reporter