[Asia Economy Reporter Jo Yoo-jin] The U.S. House of Representatives adopted a resolution condemning socialism that explicitly designates North Korean National Defense Commission Chairman Kim Jong-il and State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un as criminals.
On the 2nd (local time), the House held a plenary session and passed the 'Resolution Condemning the Terror of Socialism' with 328 votes in favor and 86 against. Among them, 109 Democratic Party members also voted in favor of the resolution.
The resolution condemns the large-scale loss of life and famine that occurred under past socialist regimes and was introduced by Republican Representative Maria Elvira Salazar of Florida.
The resolution stated, "Socialist ideology inevitably leads to the concentration of power resulting in totalitarian rule and dictatorship," and condemned that "socialism has driven more than 100 million people worldwide to death and caused repeated famines and mass killings."
It further specified, "Socialist thinkers including Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong, Fidel Castro, Kim Jong-il, and Kim Jong-un committed great crimes in history." In particular, it pointed out that "up to 3.5 million people died of starvation in North Korea."
Additionally, on the same day, the House passed a resolution to remove Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, who caused controversy with anti-Semitic remarks, from the Foreign Affairs Committee by a vote of 218 in favor and 211 against. Among the voting members, only one Republican abstained, while the rest voted in favor, and all Democrats opposed it.
Omar, the first Muslim woman to become a member of the House in 2019, faced criticism for a tweet in 2018 during her time as a state representative that said, "Israel hypnotizes the world. I hope Allah helps people see the evil of Israel."
In her speech at the plenary session that day, Omar criticized the Republican-led resolution, saying, "This is about who can be an American," and added, "Is anyone surprised that I, a Muslim immigrant from Africa, have been targeted?"
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