Na Kyung-won: "Federal-level decentralization is North Korea's claim"... Kim Kyung-soo: "Is federalism in the US pro-North?"

Kim Kyung-soo Questions, "Is the Federal United States Also Pro-North?"
Na Kyung-won Responds, "Do Not Deceive the People"

Former Gyeongnam Governor Kim Kyung-soo of the Democratic Party of Korea, who declared his candidacy for the presidential election, and Na Kyung-won, a presidential candidate from the People Power Party, engaged in a heated exchange over Kim's pledge related to 'federal-level local autonomy,' with Na raising ideological concerns.

On the 13th, Na posted on her Facebook, saying, "The 'federal-level local autonomy' proposed by candidate Kim is an extremely dangerous idea that could plunge South Korea into chaos and weaken national power." She added, "Federalism? Doesn't it sound familiar? It is a dangerous claim aligned with the Goryeo Federation proposed by North Korea's Kim Il-sung." She then questioned, "In a situation where forces threatening the free Republic of Korea are rampant and dividing public opinion, if we talk about federalism and weaken the central government's authority, can we properly respond to economic, security, or national crises?"

In response to former Governor Kim's criticism, Representative Na posted again on his Facebook. Representative Na, who stated, "Candidate Kim Kyung-soo, criticism and debate are always welcome," explained, "The 'federal-level autonomy' you envision is clearly different from the 'Goryeo Federation' mentioned by North Korea's Kim Il-sung or the pro-North 'low-level federation' concept referred to by former President Moon Jae-in."

In response to Na's criticism, former Governor Kim also posted on Facebook the same day, stating, "When people hear 'federalism,' some may think of the United States or Germany, while others may think of North Korea." He countered, "According to Na's argument, does that mean the United States, a federal country admired by South Korea's far-right, is a representative pro-North country?" He continued, "Seeing the word federalism and immediately resorting to colorism and slandering reminds me of Pavlov's dog, which drools when the bell rings." He added, "As a presidential candidate from the second-largest party in the National Assembly, I hope you regain your reason even now."

In response to Kim's remarks, Na once again posted on her Facebook. She said, "Candidate Kim Kyung-soo, criticism and debate are always welcome." She explained, "The 'federal-level autonomy' you envision is clearly different from the 'Goryeo Federation' mentioned by North Korea's Kim Il-sung or the pro-North 'lower-level federalism' concept referred to by former President Moon Jae-in." She emphasized, "Isn't it proper to clearly state your firm opposition to those? It is unacceptable to obscure the essence with cunning rhetoric. We must not deceive the public."

On the 13th, Representative Na posted on Facebook, stating, "The 'federal-level local autonomy' proposed by Candidate Kim is an extremely dangerous idea that could plunge South Korea into chaos and weaken national power," adding, "Federalism? Doesn't it sound familiar? It is a dangerous claim that aligns with the Korean Federation system advocated by North Korea's Kim Il-sung." Photo by Kim Hyun-min

Na further stated, "Candidate, weren't you a close aide of the Moon Jae-in administration, which was not free from criticism of 'submissive pro-North policies'?" Referring to the 'Pavlov's dog' analogy, she said, "Who was it that automatically reacted and drooled at every word from North Korea or every gesture from Kim Jong-un? Wasn't it the Moon Jae-in administration that remained silent about the sacrifices and lives of our people, North Korea's nuclear provocations, and horrific human rights abuses, while fiercely attacking South Korean citizens and political forces who criticized these?" She added, "They were truly North Korea's 'Pavlov's dogs.'" She urged, "Putting aside other analogies or criticisms for a moment, please clearly declare whether the 'federal-level autonomy' you intend to pursue follows the federal models of liberal allies like the United States or Germany, or if it is something else."