Second Day of Government Questioning... Clash Expected Over New Right Appointments and North Korea Policy

Continuation from the previous day: New Right appointments and historical perspective debates expected
Questions on North Korea's sewage balloons and public relations likely to arise as well

On the second day of the National Assembly's questioning of the government on the 10th, inquiries will continue in the fields of diplomacy, unification, and security. It is expected that there will be clashes over the so-called 'New Right' appointment controversy caused by the recent appointment of Kim Hyung-seok as the director of the Independence Hall, as well as the Yoon Seok-yeol administration's diplomacy and North Korea policies.

The National Assembly will hold a plenary session at 2 p.m. on the same day and question government officials including Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, Minister of Unification Kim Young-ho, First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Kim Hong-gyun, and Vice Minister of National Defense Kim Sun-ho.

The opposition party is expected to raise suspicions of 'pro-Japanese' sentiments by questioning the appointments of New Right figures, the government's stance on the registration of Sado Mine as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site, and the discharge of Fukushima contaminated water, following the first day of government questioning. Opposition lawmakers also criticized the historical awareness of Kim Hyung-seok, director of the Independence Hall, who previously stated that 'only Japanese nationals existed before 1948' and did not attend this year's Liberation Day ceremony, as well as Kim Moon-soo, Minister of Employment and Labor, who caused controversy by saying during a recent confirmation hearing that 'nationality during the Japanese colonial period was Japanese.'

The government’s position on North Korean issues, including the August 15 unification doctrine and the resumption of loudspeaker broadcasts to North Korea, will also be confirmed. The opposition believes that the government’s focus on improving North Korean human rights only causes tension between the South and North rather than peace and unification. In particular, questions may arise about whether responding to North Korea’s filth balloons with loudspeakers is effective. On the 8th, a North Korean filth balloon fell into a warehouse in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, causing a fire. The balloon contained a timer-triggered detonator, raising concerns that it has become a physical terror weapon beyond psychological terror.

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is responding to a question from Park Ji-won, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, during the political sector interpellation held at the National Assembly on the 9th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

In addition, inquiries are expected regarding the Yoon Seok-yeol administration’s diplomatic policy of 'value diplomacy,' the U.S.-China hegemonic competition and protectionism, and the Indo-Pacific strategy. The opposition views that since President Yoon’s inauguration, the administration has overly prioritized diplomatic relations with the United States, which could worsen relations with China in economic and security areas.