Democratic Party says Im Jong-seok's 'Two-State Theory for South and North Korea' differs from party stance

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Former Chief of Staff to President Moon Jae-in, Im Jong-seok, who advocated for a 'peaceful two-state solution between South and North Korea,' was distanced by the Democratic Party of Korea. The party's largest pro-Lee Jae-myung faction, the Democratic Party National Innovation Council (Innovation Council), held a forum where they mentioned the 'responsibility of officials involved in the Moon administration's North Korea policy in 2018.'

On the 25th, Lee Hae-sik, Chief Secretary to the Democratic Party leader, met with reporters after an on-site Supreme Council meeting in Busan and said, "Former Chief Im's Facebook message differs from the party's position," adding, "It violates the spirit of the Constitution and does not align with the party's platform." Former Chief Im had previously argued "Let's not unify" at the '6th Anniversary Ceremony of the September 19 Pyongyang Joint Declaration' on the 19th, and earlier that morning posted on social media that "the best practical solution is a peaceful two-state status with free movement."

Im Jong-seok, former Chief of Staff to President Moon Jae-in. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Regarding Im's claims, Lee said, "They contradict the political consensus to pursue peaceful unification." Earlier, Chief Spokesperson Cho Seung-rae also stated, "It is inappropriate for the party to seriously discuss the opinion of 'private citizen Im Jong-seok,'" adding, "I think it is a personal opinion rather than a general trend."

That morning at the National Assembly, the Innovation Council hosted an emergency forum titled 'North Korea's Hostile Two-State Declaration and the Tasks of the Next Democratic Government.' Shin Jun-young, Chair of the Innovation Council's North Korea Policy Innovation Committee, said, "We expect officials involved in the Moon administration's North Korea policy to diligently prepare a mistake notebook." He previously served as Director of the Peace Cooperation Bureau of Gyeonggi Province during Lee Jae-myung's tenure as governor. Lawmaker Lee Kwang-hee, who attended the forum, targeted former Chief Im, stating, "The declarative 'two-state theory' remarks by key figures of the previous administration are not yet ready to be accepted by the Democratic Party and civil society, who have long yearned for unification."

Yoon Yong-jo, Executive Director of the Innovation Council, commented on the forum results, saying, "We need to see why the Moon administration's North Korea policy failed," adding, "It is absurd to now say that moving toward two states will somehow establish peace, which was not possible at the time." He continued, "Forum participants said the cause was the failure to resolve hostile policies," and explained, "They said the next Democratic government must start from a different point."