In a question about the education, society, and culture of the National Assembly plenary session held on the afternoon of the 8th, Rep. Lee Man-hee is asking the Minister of Public Administration and Security Jeon Hae-cheol about the second harassment of the late Mayor Park Won-soon. Reporter Oh Jong-taek
35 lawmakers pan-passport issued a statement on the 25th and urged to postpone the ROK-US joint exercises scheduled for next month. They were cited for the fact that peace on the Korean Peninsula and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un were opposed. In the statement, members of the Democratic Party such as Min-seok Ahn, Mi-hyang Yoon, and Nam-guk Kim, and members of the Open Democratic Party such as Choi Kang-wook were listed.
They said, “Now is the time to take a new step for peace on the Korean Peninsula,” and said, “As a strategic measure not to miss this opportunity, I earnestly appeal to the ROK-US government to decide to postpone the ROK-US combined military training.”
They said, “Our Ministry of Defense is explaining that it is a defensive combined command post training as it has been conducted in the past, but North Korea is strongly opposing even Kim Jong-un, and even this year’s party conference is raising it as a’basic problem’ of inter-Korean relations. He explained why.
“The current situation on the Korean peninsula is very difficult to predict, because the barriers of mutual distrust between the two Koreas and North America are very high. It can cause an enemy confrontation.”
They said, “It is by no means desirable to intensify tensions in the region until the new administration of Biden of the United States makes a comprehensive and organized position on the policy on the Korean Peninsula, neither for the management of the situation on the Korean Peninsula, nor for the future relations between the two Koreas.”
They also mentioned the novel coronavirus infection (Corona 19) as one of the reasons for postponing the ROK-US joint training. They said in a statement, “If the government orders a collective ban on 5 or more people for the prevention of coronavirus, and restricts the business of self-employed people, if a large-scale military training is conducted to intensify the corona crisis, some citizens will respond to the government’s quarantine restrictions. I am very concerned about whether to follow.”
Reporter Oh Won-seok [email protected]
Full text of 35 members of Pan-Passport
〈I urge you to postpone the ROK-US combined military training to create a dialogue phase on the Korean Peninsula and prevent COVID-19!〉
The ROK-US joint military exercises, scheduled for the second week of March, are under discussion, taking into account the situation such as Corona 19.
The Ministry of Defense is explaining that it is a defensive combined command post training as it has been conducted in the past, but North Korea is strongly protesting against Kim Jong-un. Even this year’s party congress is raising it as a’basic problem’ of inter-Korean relations. Given this, we need to consider a more cautious, strategic response.
The current situation on the Korean peninsula has returned to before the 2018 inter-Korean summit after the North American denuclearization negotiations fell into a stalemate. The barrier of mutual distrust between the two Koreas and North America is so high that it is difficult to predict one step ahead. Since the military hotline has also been cut off, there is a high risk of a military conflict due to minor misunderstandings and distrust around the armistice line.
Therefore, at this point in time, combined military exercises between the ROK and the United States may trigger a hard-line response from the North and create an extreme diplomatic and security conflict.
Most worrisome is that the US’s Biden government is reviewing new policies on the Korean Peninsula, and its conclusions have not yet been reached. Increasing tensions in the region until the new administration of the United States makes a comprehensive and organized stance on Korean peninsula policy is by no means desirable for the future management of the situation on the Korean Peninsula and for future inter-Korean and North Korean relations.
There are many questions about whether North Korea will act accordingly if the ROK-US joint training is postponed. However, it should be noted that North Korea has already made it clear that “the principle of “Gang Dae River, First Line” and that the ROK and the United States will take appropriate measures to relieve tension if they demonstrate the patience and flexibility to meet their requirements. Do it.
Now is the time to revive the lessons of the PyeongChang temporary peace system created in 2018. The temporary peace regime in Pyeongchang was established at the end of 2017 in response to President Moon Jae-in’s proposal to postpone the ROK-US combined exercise and Chairman Kim Jong-un’s response, and it became a model example of the process of easing tensions on the Korean peninsula, connected to the inter-Korean summit and the U.S.-North Korea summit.
In order to open the spring of peace, the side with more room must first move. As North Korea faced a serious economic crisis while implementing strong border closure measures to combat Corona 19, it is in a situation that it has no room to reach out first due to the nature of the North Korean regime.
In order to improve the humanitarian situation, such as improving the quality of life for North Koreans, South Korea and the United States must exercise more patience and flexibility.
Above all, now is the time for us, the United States and the world to fight Corona 19 first. In August of last year, there was a confirmed case during a combined military training session of the US and the ROK, and on the 16th, a few days ago, the first confirmed case occurred at the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Ministry of Defense, and 20 people were taken to self-isolate. Military training is no exception to the Corona 19 response.
When the Korean government issues an order to ban the collective bargaining of five or more people for the prevention of Corona 19 and restricts the business of self-employed people, who will follow the government’s quarantine restrictions if it intensifies the corona crisis by enforcing large-scale military exercises. Is also very concerned.
Now is the time to take a new step toward peace on the Korean Peninsula. Therefore, I sincerely appeal to the ROK-US government to decide to postpone ROK-US combined military exercises as a strategic means to not miss this opportunity.
February 25, 2021
National Assembly member of the Republic of Korea
Kang Hoon-sik, Kim Nam-guk, Kim Seong-ju, Kim Seong-hwan, Kim Seung-nam, Kim Seung-won, Kim Yong-min, Kim Won-i, Kim Hong-geol, Min Hyung-bae, Park Wan-ju, Seo Dong-yong, So Byeong-hoon, Shin Jeong-hoon, Ahn Min-seok, Sang-gon Moon, Yoo Jeong-ju, Yoon Mi-hyang, Yoon Young-deok, Yoon Young-chan, Lee Gyu-min, Lee Dong-ju, Lee Soo-jin, Lee Soo-jin (Birae ), Lee Yong-bin, Lee Yong-seon, Lee Jang-seop, Lee Hak-young, Lee Hae-sik, Lim Ho-seon, Jung Chun-sook, Jo Oh-seop, Jin Seong-jun, Choi Kang-wook, Hwang Unha
