Democratic Party on 'LineYahoo Incident': "Government Watching from Afar... Must Respond Fully"

Emergency Current Issue Inquiries Scheduled at Foreign Affairs and Science Committees

The Democratic Party of Korea has defined the 'Line Yahoo Incident' as a submissive diplomacy of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration toward Japan and pressured for an all-out response. Additionally, they held related standing committee meetings and urged the People Power Party to cooperate in preparing countermeasures.

Park Chan-dae, floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is presiding over the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 13th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Park Chan-dae, the floor leader of the Democratic Party, said at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul on the morning of the 13th, "The Japanese government is exerting unfair pressure, forcing Naver, the major shareholder of Line, to sell its shares, but our government is just watching from afar," adding, "Have they decided to unconditionally approve anything if Japan demands or pushes for it?" He continued, "The Democratic Party has requested to hold meetings of the Science, Technology, Broadcasting and Communications Committee (STBCC) and the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee (FAUC) to prepare countermeasures for this incident, but the People Power Party is pretending not to hear," criticizing, "Is it an appropriate attitude for the National Assembly, which represents the people, to just watch with eyes wide open while a robbery is taking place?"

He also pointed out that the Yoon administration is showing a friendly attitude toward Japan. Seo Young-kyo, a Supreme Council member of the Democratic Party, said, "President Yoon Seok-yeol is saying nothing and spacing out regarding the Line Yahoo Incident," adding, "We cannot help but suspect that he is secretly helping to sell Naver Line to Japan." Furthermore, she emphasized, "The President is being hit hard by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and just standing still, while conducting diplomacy that gives everything to Japan and even accepting Fukushima contaminated water, to the extent that people are calling it colonial government diplomacy."

She also criticized the government ministries for repeated mistakes in labeling Dokdo. Recently, a civil defense cyber-education video used a map showing Dokdo as Japanese territory, and the Ministry of National Defense described Dokdo as a disputed area in last year's mental education materials for soldiers, causing controversy. Seo said, "Officials from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the Ministry of National Defense, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs mark Dokdo as not our land but are not punished," and stated, "All related officials should be punished, and Minister Lee Sang-min of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and President Yoon should apologize."

The Democratic Party urged the government and ruling party to prepare comprehensive government-level countermeasures regarding the Line Yahoo Incident. They plan to hold standing committee meetings related to the incident and conduct urgent inquiries. Floor leader Park said, "The government should immediately protect our companies with an all-out government-wide response, and the People Power Party should promptly hold standing committee meetings and cooperate in preparing countermeasures for this incident," warning, "Otherwise, they will be criticized as a treasonous government and treasonous party."