Kim Min-seok: "Time to Criticize North Korea's Hostile Two-State Theory"

"Im Jong-seok, Who Advocated for Inter-Korean Unification... Must Have Had Concerns"

Kim Min-seok, a Supreme Council Member of the Democratic Party of Korea, emphasized regarding former Presidential Chief of Staff Im Jong-seok's remarks on the 'Two States Theory' that "it is time to criticize North Korea's hostile Two States Theory rather than Im's comments."

On the 23rd, Kim said on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' that "North Korea's remarks likely reflect their assessment of the current situation and dissatisfaction that peace and cooperation between the two Koreas are impossible, but even so, it cannot justify a fundamental change in policy," adding, "This is because it is a claim to take a different path that goes beyond the agreements between the two Koreas and each side's constitutions, which have continued from Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il."

He also interpreted the background of Im's remarks by saying, "When a politician who has advocated reconciliation, cooperation, and unification between the two Koreas more than anyone else says that the direction should change, there must have been his own thoughts and concerns," and "The government and ruling party should also take note of this."

Regarding the conservative camp interpreting Im's remarks as sympathetic to North Korea, he criticized, "Evaluating all issues with simple logic is not appropriate for the times," and "It is immature to so easily talk about ideological labeling."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

This 'Two States Theory' controversy began when Im made remarks at the 6th anniversary ceremony of the September 19 Pyongyang Joint Declaration on the 19th, saying, "Let's let go of the obsession that unification must be achieved. Let's firmly establish peace and leave the future of the Korean Peninsula to future generations." The conservative camp pointed out that this reminded them of North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un's 'hostile Two States Theory.'

Amid this, when Kim Min-seok stated on social media on the 22nd, "North Korea's 'hostile Two States Theory' must be criticized. Former President Kim would have tried to persuade Chairman Kim rather than sympathize with him," there was an interpretation that the Democratic Party leadership stepped in to refute Im's remarks.

However, Kim Min-seok told Yonhap News and others, "This post was not written to criticize Im Jong-seok, and rather than debating Im's remarks, it is time to clearly criticize North Korea's 'hostile Two States Theory.'"