Park Ji-won: "Suspension of 9·19 Agreement? Trying to Cover an Issue with Another Issue"

MBC Radio 'Kim Jong-bae's Focused View' Appearance
"Drone Unit? Already Established in 2018 under Moon Government"

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] Regarding the directive to review the suspension of the effectiveness of the September 19 Military Agreement in connection with North Korea's drone provocations, former National Intelligence Service Director Park Ji-won criticized on the 5th, saying, "They only announced a threat to deceive the public and break the September 19 Military Agreement," adding, "They are trying to cover an issue with another issue."

Earlier, it was revealed belatedly that a North Korean drone that infiltrated Seoul on the 26th of last month partially violated the no-fly zone (P-73) set over the area near the Yongsan Presidential Office. At that time, Kim Byung-joo, a four-star general turned member of the Democratic Party of Korea, claimed that it was highly likely that the North Korean drone passed through the no-fly zone, but on the 29th of the same month, the Joint Chiefs of Staff denied this.

Regarding this, former Director Park appeared on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' and said, "The biggest problem is that North Korea's drone filmed our Presidential Office," adding, "Why hide this? They should announce it accurately and present how they plan to prepare."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

He continued, "Although relocating the Presidential Office to Yongsan was unreasonable for the country's long-term defense plans, if it was done, it should have been done properly," and criticized, "How is it that the Yongsan Presidential Office was filmed and no one knew until now? Even when this fact was pointed out, the Minister of National Defense and the Presidential Office's Chief of Public Relations lied and instead talked about us also terminating the military agreement?"

Former Director Park explained, "The Blue House has drone-related equipment installed on nearby mountains." He added, "But when moving the Presidential Office, Yongsan has no mountains, so they installed drone detectors on high-rise apartments," and questioned, "Then what would happen if civilians living in those apartments were attacked by North Korea?"

Park viewed the directive to review the suspension of the September 19 Military Agreement as inappropriate. He said, "The September 19 Military Agreement and inter-Korean agreements should not be terminated. Even if North Korea wants to break up, we should keep the agreements; wouldn't this serve as material to criticize them?" He added, "The Basic Agreement between North and South Korea, President Roh Tae-woo's Armistice Agreement, and the June 15 Joint Declaration are all still alive in inter-Korean relations, and we should urge North Korea to abide by them."

Regarding President Yoon Suk-yeol's order to establish a drone unit, he said, "The Moon Jae-in administration already established one in 2018," and added, "The recent drone detection and attacks were also handled by what was created during the Moon administration, so they should not lie and say nothing was done." On the plan to expand and reorganize into a Drone Command, he evaluated, "Since drones have become a major form of attack worldwide, expanding it is good from a military perspective."

On the issue of reforming the multi-member district system, he analyzed that the Democratic Party lost the opportunity to take the lead on an important political reform issue. Former Director Park said, "The multi-member district system has been an important political reform issue that our political circles, especially the Democratic Party, have long discussed," and criticized, "How much better would it have been if the Democratic Party had raised the issue before the President brought it up?"