Ha Tae-kyung "Moon Administration Seemed Excited Preparing for North Korea Individual Tourism" [Interview]

People Power Party Maritime Affairs Official Shooting Incident
Task Force (TF) Chairman Ha Tae-kyung

"Not Enough but North Korea Apologizes
Government Should Also Acknowledge and Apologize"

Ha Tae-kyung, a member of the People Power Party, is being interviewed at the National Assembly Members' Office Building in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 1st. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

"The Ministry of Unification was preparing for individual tours to North Korea. However, the (Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries official shooting) incident occurred. Once this became known, all plans were at risk of being ruined. Therefore, public opinion had to be controlled as much as possible, and the blame had to be placed on the individual (the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries official) rather than the government. They tried to obtain political exoneration by shifting the fault onto the victim."

Ha Tae-kyung, chairman of the People Power Party’s ‘Task Force (TF) for Investigating the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries Official Shooting Incident,’ said this in an interview with Asia Economy on the 4th. Since the incident in September 2020, Ha, who has been working with the bereaved families to uncover the truth, also held a memorial service on a boat near the accident site off Yeonpyeong Island last weekend. The following is a Q&A with Representative Ha.

- It is reported that President Moon Jae-in’s first report (at 18:36) was only in writing, not face-to-face.

△ It seems it was complacent. He wanted to achieve results on North Korea issues during his term. Even though a South Korean citizen was found by North Korean forces, the first report only described the situation. It was stated that an accident presumed to be a crash had occurred and that it was in North Korean waters. There was no mention of urgent measures related to rescuing the person. They must have been thinking about something else.

- After the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries official’s death, the possibility of an accidental fall was completely ruled out through Blue House meetings. Was there an intention behind this?

△ At that time, the government was excited about improving relations with North Korea. Unexpectedly, on September 18, 2020, former President Moon received a letter from North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un. It was a friendly reply, so they thought inter-Korean dialogue could be restored, and thus individual tours were being prepared.

Ha Tae-kyung, head of the People Power Party's "Task Force (TF) for the Investigation of the Shooting Incident of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries Officials," is holding a press conference at the Incheon Coastal Passenger Terminal after completing an on-site investigation on the 3rd.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

- Will this incident make it difficult to establish relations with North Korea?

△ North Korea apologized. Although insufficient, it is unusual compared to past North Korean governments. Since they apologized, a procedure to confirm whether there are remains or belongings is necessary.

- The opposition party is raising 'colorism' accusations.

△ Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party mentioned colorism. But this incident is exactly the same as the military regime actions they used to detest. If former President Moon had opposed this incident, it could not have happened. Whether Moon led it or not could become another issue. They used an individual as a tool for sacrifice to realize government policies. It was a spy hunt like those under military regimes. This is an incident where so-called democratization forces have morally collapsed.

- The bereaved families have filed complaints against those responsible. Will these be actually enforced?

△ Legally, since I have not yet seen the presidential records, it is difficult to comment on guilt or innocence, but the Moon Jae-in administration must acknowledge that the accusation of defection to the North was excessive overall. The later the acknowledgment, the harsher the historical judgment on the Moon administration will inevitably be.

- Is it possible to form a special committee for a national investigation together with the Democratic Party?

△ There may be disagreements even within the special committee, but through that, we can gradually approach the truth. However, the Democratic Party opposes the special committee itself. Because their purpose is not to uncover the truth.