"Not an Issue of Anti-China or Pro-China, but of National Interest and Practical Benefit"
Former President Park Geunhye's Attendance in 2015, Ultimately a Mistake
Handonghun, Former Leader of the People Power Party. Photo by National Assembly Press Photographers Group
Han Donghun, former leader of the People Power Party, stated that it would be in the national interest for President Lee Jaemyung not to attend the 80th anniversary ceremony of China's 9·3 Victory Day.
On July 2, Han Donghun wrote on his Facebook page, "Now is the time to dispel domestic and international concerns about the new administration's foreign policy," adding, "Concerns about the direction of our diplomacy have already been raised due to the appointment of so-called 'self-reliance faction' figures and the absence from the NATO summit."
He further stated, "If the President of South Korea appears at China's Victory Day event, which the vast majority of leaders from major Western countries will not attend, how will our partners perceive this?" He added, "Moreover, President Lee Jaemyung has not yet held a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump."
Previously, the presidential office announced in a statement that South Korea and China were communicating regarding President Lee's possible attendance at the Victory Day ceremony. The last time a South Korean president attended the event was in 2015, when former President Park Geunhye participated in an effort to foster friendly Korea-China relations. However, China was passive in condemning and sanctioning North Korea's nuclear tests and provocations. Since then, Korea-China relations have cooled, particularly over the deployment of THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense).
Han Donghun acknowledged, "Some may argue that former President Park Geunhye also attended the Victory Day ceremony in 2015, but in hindsight, this was a mistake." He explained, "After attending the Victory Day event, we had to endure the unprecedented China-imposed 'Hallyu Ban' during the THAAD deployment phase. There are also reports that senior officials from the Park Geunhye administration who were involved in the decision to attend the Victory Day ceremony later regretted it."
He also pointed out that Victory Day is an event that honors the Chinese military as heroes. Even though the original context is World War II, he questioned whether it is appropriate for the South Korean president to personally attend an event that celebrates the Chinese military, which later fought as the enemy during the Korean War, considering public sentiment and historical awareness.
Han Donghun noted, "Even in 2015, the United States expressed displeasure over the Park Geunhye administration's attendance at the Victory Day event," adding, "Now, U.S.-China tensions are even more intense than they were then. The level of risk is higher than it was ten years ago." He emphasized, "This is not an issue of conservatives versus progressives, but solely a matter of national interest."
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