Ruling and Opposition Parties Clash Over Confidential Repatriation of North Korean POWs: "Protecting Individuals" vs. "Appeasing the North"

President Lee: "If you endanger lives or security, you are a murderer and a traitor"

People Power Party: "Why is the government so fixated on confidentiality?"

The ruling and opposition parties have clashed over the government's decision to keep the repatriation of two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea confidential. The Democratic Party of Korea argued that this measure was taken in consideration of the individuals' safety and national security, urging against political strife, while the People Power Party criticized the government, claiming it concealed the repatriation to appease North Korea.

Shin Hyun-young, spokesperson for the Democratic Party, stated in a commentary on the 25th, "Despite a confidential agreement between the Republic of Korea and Ukraine, President Zelensky publicly disclosed the repatriation of the North Korean prisoners of war to the world." She continued, "This is a betrayal of trust between the two countries and a dangerous act from the perspective of national security."

President Lee Jae-myung is speaking at a joint press conference with Claudia Sheinbaum, President of Mexico, held at the Presidential Palace in Mexico City on the 24th (local time). Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Spokesperson Shin further stated, "What is most important now is to thoroughly protect the safety of the two individuals who have been repatriated," and called on the Ukrainian side to explain the circumstances of the disclosure and to actively cooperate in follow-up measures to ensure the individuals' safety.

She added, "The Lee Jae-myung administration has absolutely no intention of boasting about or politically exploiting the repatriation of North Korean prisoners of war," and urged the People Power Party not to escalate the matter into a political dispute.

"We ask that demands for disclosure or unfounded suspicions, which could reveal the individuals’ identities or specifics regarding protective measures, be refrained from, and that all sides actively cooperate with steps intended to safeguard those concerned," she added.

President Lee Jae-myung, through X (formerly Twitter) on this day, expressed regret to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for breaking the agreement to keep the repatriation of the two North Korean prisoners of war confidential and making it public.

He strongly criticized conservative opposition forces who denounced the government's confidential policy, saying, "If you endanger lives or security for the sake of self-promotion, you are a murderer and a traitor."

Jung Jeongsik, floor leader of the People Power Party, is delivering a party leader's speech at the National Assembly plenary session on the 8th. Photo by Yoon Dongju

The People Power Party, meanwhile, expressed doubts about the reasoning behind the government withholding the repatriation information.

Jeong Jeong-sik, floor leader of the People Power Party, wrote on Facebook, "There is only a matter of timing, but the return of North Korean prisoners of war should be made public. So why was the government suddenly obsessed with confidentiality? Was it out of fear of upsetting Kim Jong Un? Is this fear due to vulnerabilities related to the 'cash transfer to North Korea' case?" he criticized.

He continued, "To the People Power Party's questions about why President Lee concealed the repatriation, he lashed out with extreme words like 'cruelty,' 'irresponsibility,' 'murderer,' and 'traitor.' The government is humiliating itself before every provocation, begging the North Korean regime for fake peace. Traitors—that label applies to them," he asserted.

Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon also said, "While President Lee once blustered that anyone who threatened Koreans would face ruin, he is now firmly silent about North Korea’s landmine attacks and only angry about the exposure of the North Korean prisoners of war," insisting, "The security standards of the Lee Jae-myung administration are solely based on whether they have upset North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. This is because Kim Jong Un holds leverage over Lee due to cash transfers to the North made for Lee’s benefit."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.