Quotes: South Korean President, Ruling Party Lawmakers Justify Kim Yo-jong and North Korea Destroying the Liaison Building, Express Desire to Violate Sanctions

2020-6-20, Tara O

Earlier this month Kim Yo-jong (김여정) hurled several lengthy diatribes against South Korea, particularly against President Moon Jae-in.  During her invective, she threatened to blow up the inter-Korea liaison office building and followed up on June 16, 2020 by exploding and collapsing the building.  President Moon’s senior secretary for Public Communication, Yoon Do-han, said South Korea will “no longer tolerate irrational remarks and actions by the North,” and Yoon’s statements have been carried by major international English news media, giving the impression that the Blue House is getting tough on North Korea.  Yoon, however, is the only one who has said such words.  Other members of Moon’s administration, his party, and like-minded politicians in the National Assembly, who have spoken out, have resoundingly been defensive of the Kim regime in North Korea.  They have fairly consistently expressed their desire to violate sanctions against North Korea.  Instead of condemnation, they quickly introduced bills to declare the end of war, which has serious negative consequences for South Korea’s national security, and bills to ban defectors from sending leaflets to North Korea, which suppresses freedom of expression for South Korean citizens.  The below are their actions and talks in chronological order.

2020-6-4:  

Kim Yo-jong complains about leaflets sent to North Korea by defector groups in South Korea. She threatened to shut down the Liaison Office, Gaesong Industrial Complex, and Geumgang Mountain tourism, and revoke the 2018 South-North Military Agreement.  

The Ministry of Unification announced that it will ban sending leaflets, and said the leaflets threaten lives and property as well as pollute:

Actions that pose a threat to the lives and property of bordering people should be stopped.

Most of the leaflets are found in the domestic area, deteriorating the living conditions of local residents, causing environmental pollution in the border area, and creating a burden of waste collection.

2020-6-5:

Kim Hong-gul (김홍걸), National Assemblyman (proportional representative), Democratic Party of Korea (Deobureo Minjoo Party), responded with alacrity to placate Kim Yo-jong by introducing an amendment to the Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Act that bans sending of leaflets to North Korea.

Kim Hong-gul is former president Kim Dae-jung’s son.  The leaflet ban proposal is his first-ever proposal introduced at the National Assembly, having just become a party-appointed (not directly elected) proportional representative after the April 15, 2020 election, which is mired in election fraud evidence and allegations.

2020-6-12:

Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung (이재명), Democratic Party of Korea, said:

I will arrest on the spot those who are distributing leaflets to North Korea as criminals…I’ll pre-emptively block all possible ways. I’ll designate a part of the border area as a ‘dangerous area’ and prohibit the entry of those planning to send leaflets to North Korea…and place special police at the location.

Lee Jae-myung was charged with abuse of authority, violating the election law, and announcing false information related to committing his older brother Lee Jae-sun (이재선) to an insane asylum while he was the mayor of Seongnam City.  His brother later passed away.

2020-6-13:

Kim Yo-jong warned:

Soon you’ll see the miserable sight of the useless North-South (South-North) Liaison Office collapse with no part intact.

Park Ji-won (박지원), former National Assemblyman, Party for People’s Livelihoods (민생당), said: 

We must absolutely consider sending a special envoy to North Korea” after he expressed concern that North Korea will blow up the inter-Korea Liaison office building.

Park Ji-won is a close associate of Kim Dae-jung, former president of South Korea, who began the Sunshine Policy, an unconditional aid program to North Korea, while North Korea developed nuclear weapons.  It was revealed that Kim Dae-jung transferred at least $500 million to North Korea to hold the 2000 summit with Kim Jong-il.

2020-6-15:

Ahn Cheol-soo (안철수), the head of People’s Party, said:

We must pursue sending a special envoy to Pyongyang…if the government sees the need and requests, I’m prepared to go as part of the special envoy team.

Haven’t you thought that North Korea’s request is a ‘regime guarantee, while not giving up nuclear weapons?’ If this is the case, then there is no difference between the Lee Myeong-bak/Park Geun-hye administrations and the Moon Jae-in administration, which cannot resolve this issue [to the satisfaction of North Korea].

Ahn Cheol-soo ran for president in 2017.  As a presidential candidate, he said “there are no spies in today’s world.”

President Moon Jae-in said:

I’m at a point where I can’t wait any longer,” implying he will take actions that could violate sanctions.

Democratic Party of Korea expressed:

The Gaesong Industrial Complex and the Geumgang Mountain tourism should be resumed promptly, in order to develop inter-Korean relations.

Jeong Se-hyun (정세현), former Unification Minister, said:

Mt. Geumgang tourism began under the Kim Dae-jung administration. If we waited for the U.S. to give permission, [the Mt Geumgang tourism] would not even have begun. Even the Gaesong Industrial Complex that began under Rho Moo-hyun, the U.S. tried multiple times to put a break on it. It began by convincing the United States that the development of the Gaesong Industrial Complex is inevitable, and that the machines entering the Gaesong Industrial Complex would be guaranteed to not to be diverted to the military.

Jeong Se-hyun is the Executive Vice Chair of National Unification Advisory Council (NUAC).  Moon Jae in, as the president of South Korea, is the Chair of NUAC. NUAC has branches all over the U.S., and it has become a lobbying arm of the Moon administration for its policy toward North Korea.

Netizen Comments:  

-We don’t want a leader who gets pushed around by North Korea; we want a leader who will subdue North Korea.

-Why are you so favorable to North Korea? North Korea is our main enemy!!!!! We suffered so many times–got kicked out of Gaesong Industrial Complex, our soldiers got their legs blown off by [North Korea’s] mines, [North Korea’s exploding and sinking of] Cheonan etc. Please come to your senses.

Song Young-gil (송영길), National Assemblyman, Democratic Party of Korea, said:

[North Korea’s economic situation] is similar to George Floyd…the largest ever sanctions plus more are currently in effect [against North Korea].” “George Floyd said ‘I can’t breathe.” Isn’t North Korea’s situation the same?

Song Young-gil is also the chairman of his party’s Committee on Foreign Affairs and Unification.  He was the chair of the Presidential Committee on Northern Economic Cooperation and former mayor of Incheon.  He was formerly a labor activist and a member of Minbyun (lawyers’ group with pro-North Korea activities).

Hong Ihk-pyo (홍익표), National Assemblyman, Democratic Party of Korea, said:

I think North Korea felt betrayed due to the [various S-N, ROK-US, U.S.-North Korea] agreements breaking down and continuously irritating North Korea, and wonder if that came into play.

Wasn’t there an actual economic cooperation agreement with North Korea, various summit agreements between South and North, and agreements between authorities between the two states? Such measures are all blocked by the South Korea-U.S. working group. Isn’t it time to end the superfluous working group structure? It’s an unnecessary restriction.

In 2012, Im Jong-seok nominated Hong Ihk-pyo to run for an office.

Kim Kyung-hyup (김경협), National Assemblyman, Democratic Party of Korea, said:

Since North Korea has nuclear weapons, [they’re saying] so don’t declare the end of war and maintain (armistice)?…Recently, North Korea is threatening with diatribe, so can’t have an end of war declaration? There’s a concern that the U.S. forces in Korea can withdraw, so can’t have an end of war declaration? This is the logic of those who want to sell “division and weapons.

Kim Kyung-hyup was arrested for Jusapa (those who swore allegiance to Kim Il-sung, Kim Jong-il of North Korea) activities.  He worked for Rho Moo-hyun at the Blue House.

Earlier this month, Kim Kyung-hyup introduced the “End of war declaration resolution” to make it into a law.  The end of war declaration has also been demanded by North Korea.  The proposal calls for the U.S. and China to also implement an end of war declaration.  A large number of lawmakers (174) signed the proposal:

• Democratic Party of Korea:  169
• Open Democratic Party: 2
• Justice Party: 2
• Independent: 1

Netizens’ Comments regarding the end of war declaration proposal: 

-Are they (the lawmakers) really citizens of the Republic of Korea? They should all be deported to Kim Jong-un’s country, along with those who voted for them.

-They’re out of their minds.

-I’ve never seen this in 60 years of my life. It’s as if they’re dancing the executioner’s dance while the citizens are watching.  They have no morals or common sense.

-They’re crazy.  [North Korea] just exploded the liaison building, but an end of war declaration?  This is when a boiled cow’s head laughs.  [Note: North Korea criticized Moon’s August 15, 2019 speech by expressing that ‘a boiled cow’s head would burst out laughing.’]

Kim Han-jung (김한정), National Assemblyman, Democratic Party of Korea, said:

The leaflets weren’t the essence of the problem, but it gave North Korea a pretext. The South and North have already agreed several times not to slander each other with broadcasts and leaflets, but we [South Korea] have not been able to abide by it.

Kim Han-jung worked at the Blue House under Kim Dae-jung (KDJ) and accompanied KDJ to Pyongyang for his meeting with Kim Jong-il in 2000.  Kim Han-jung was also a member of the special investigative committee for “Gookjeong Nongdan”–the committee that argued that Choi Seo-won ran the country and that Park Geun-hye was a puppet, leading to Park’s impeachment.  The argument was that a tablet that had some speeches and documents on it belonged to Choi, although Choi repeatedly said it was not hers.  The allegations, widely promoted by the JTBC news channel and used as the pretext to impeach president Park, proved to be false.  For more on the impeachment, see here and here. 

In the same committee, Kim Han-jung also played a key role in portraying Samsung as guilty of bribing Park, although there is no evidence.  For more on the current government’s efforts to take control over Samsung, see here.

On October 4, 2019, Kim Han-jung filed sedition and other charges against Pastor Chun Gwang-hun for anti-Moon Jae-in rallies.  Pastor Chun was taken to jail prior to the April 15, 2020 general election.

2020-6-16:  

North Korea exploded the S-N Liaison Office building.

Blue House Chief of Staff No Young-min (노영민) said: 

Geumgang Mountain tourism and individual visits to North Korea are not subject to sanctions against North Korea.

It can be implemented at any time, and we are reviewing it.

Moon Chung-in (문정인), Special Advisor for Foreign Affairs, National Security, and Unification, said:

The South Korean government has agreed to the Panmunjom Declaration and the Pyongyang Declaration, but it hasn’t kept many of its promises.

In this inappropriate period, floating balloons or sending plastic bottles from this side, North Korea can see them as sending [balloons and bottles that are tainted with] Coronavirus, couldn’t it?

I went to the Panmunjom Summit and the Pyongyang Summit and met Kim Yeo-jung several times, but Kim Yeo-jung actually took the lead in improving inter-Korean relations…She took the initiative to drive inter-Korean relations, but there is not even a single result from it, is there?

Moon Chung-in is seen as a bellwether in the Moon administration’s policies.  In the past, he has talked about not needing an alliance with the U.S. and asking China to ask North Korea to provide a nuclear umbrella to South Korea.

Yun Kun-young (윤건영), National Assemblyman, Democratic Party of Korea, said:

2018 has been marked by relentless advances in inter-Korean relations and settling peace on the Korean Peninsula, but looking back, 2019 has been regrettable. One of the regrettable scenes is the election of defectors in the recent general election…the defectors becoming National Assemblymen was probably a big message from North Korea’s perspective [that upset North Korea].” [referring to Thae Yong-ho and Ji Sung-ho]

From North Korea’s perspective, I wonder if [the displays of F-35 and other arms on the Armed Forces Day] became a pretext to doubt the will to implement the S-N Military Agreement of 9.19 [2008].

Yun Kun-young worked as Administrative Planning Officer in the Rho Moo-hyun Blue House. Yun followed Moon Jae-in to the National Assembly as his aide, worked on Moon’s presidential campaign, and followed him to the Blue House. Yun is known to be Moon’s close aide.

Netizens’ Comments:

-Aren’t you in politics for North Korea? Politics for the Kim Jong-un regime of North Korea…

-I regret that you, Yun Kun-young 윤건영, became a National Assemblyman.

-All they do is come up with excuses.  So Pathetic.

-This is the result of humiliating policy vis-a-vis North Korea. What is he talking about?

-All the personnel in this administration must have a disease that leads to death if they don’t blame someone/something else.  The fault of the prior administration, the opposition party, National Assembly, and now the defectors. Crazy.

Song Young-gil (송영길), National Assemblyman, Democratic Party of Korea, said:

Isn’t it (so considerate of North Korea) that they didn’t use artillery?

to the reporters after North Korea destroyed the building.

Yun Kun-young (윤건영), said:

It was the former administrations’ fault [that they] turn[ed] the agreements into pieces of shredded paper.

and blamed the Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye administrations for Kim Yo-jong’s diatribe and North Korea destroying the liaison building.

Kim Hong-gul (김홍걸), National Assemblyman (proportional representative), Democratic Party of Korea, said:

If my father [Kim Dae-jung] were alive, he would have never gone in the direction of threatening [North Korea].

The government wasn’t audacious enough.. It should have tried everything possible even under UN sanctions. Also, efforts to persuade the United States (related to the easing of sanctions against North Korea) are needed.

As for the leaflets sent to North Korea by the defectors, Kim said:

Its’ difficult to see it as North Korean human rights or democratization of North Korea…The leaflets are suggestive.

Suh Ho (서호), Vice Minister, Unification Ministry, went to Ganghwa Island (near Incheon) to crack down on the defectors’ attempts to send leaflets to North Korea.  He visited Ganghwa Police Station, the Incheon Coast Guard, Ganghwa Police Post, Samsan Police Post, etc. to call for a thorough response to defector groups.

2020-6-17:

Kim Doo-kwan (김두관), National Assemblyman, Democratic Party of Korea, said:

Don’t mind the U.S., and re-open the Gaesong Industrial Complex and Mount Geumgang tourism,” and blamed the Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye administrations.

Even if the U.S. opposes, Gaesong Industrial Complex must be re-opened and Geumgang Mountain tourism must be re-started right away. The order has to be changed to audaciously do it first, then try to convince the ally (the U.S.) and make it understand later. Peace will never come, unless we have the guts to tell the United States that the South and North, as the masters of the Korean Peninsula, will take care of our fate on our own.” Kim then criticized the Ministry of Unification, “at least the Ministry of Unification should not mind the great power(s) [the U.S. and others enforcing sanctions], and independently make and propose policies for inter-Korean cooperation and peace on the Korean Peninsula.

Netizen Comments:  

-How can he be a National Assemblyman?

-He lost his mind.

Choi Kang-wook (최강욱), president of the Open Democratic Party (a satellite party of the Democratic Party of Korea), said:

At least Kim Jong-un himself didn’t do it. I wonder whether that means he’s leaving room for finding an exit at the height.

The key message that North Korea wants to convey through excessive words and actions is that the ‘South side shouldn’t just pretend it is making an effort, but it is important to act (regardless of the U.S.),’ and they’re saying at least they trusted our president.

The peace process on the Korean Peninsula that our President promoted as a lifelong task for our minjok (Korean people) and history should never flounder.

Choi Kang-wook is a lawyer from a Minbyun background and was a board member of the Foundation for Broadcast Culture (방송문화진흥회), the corporation that runs MBC broadcasting, until 2018, when he went to the Blue House as the Secretary to the President for Public Office Discipline.  Choi was indicted for providing a fraudulent internship confirmation letter for Cho Kuk’s son, but failed to show up for the prosecutor’s questioning.  Despite his indictment and flaunting of the law, he was elected as a National Assemblyman in April 2020.

Netizens’ Comments:

-He also wants to make a comment [and not be left out]

-Democratic Party of Korea has too many sub spokespeople under the main spokesman. Not a single one speaks for the citizens, but they all are desperate to defend the 36-year old generational successor Kim Jong-un. Given they are worshipping Kim Jong-un like North Korea’s communist party members, are they being blackmailed by Kim Jong-un?

The Moon administration, his party, and the parties sharing similar ideology with the Democratic Party of Korea have displayed submissive behavior toward the North Korean regime.  In addition to words of support to placate Kim Yo-jong of North Korea, they are even trying to codify into law measures that suppress freedom of speech for the defectors and are trying to fulfill one of North Korea’s demands–an end of war declaration, which would inevitably lead to a call for U.S. military withdrawal from South Korea.  They have consistently expressed their desire to break the sanctions against North Korea and to engage in reopening the Gaesong Industrial Complex and Geumgang Mountain tourism–money transfer activities, which are prohibited by sanctions.  Meanwhile, the South Korean citizens are frustrated that the government is not defending the country and its citizens, but are defending the regime in North Korea.