[imText1]Hwang Jang Yop, president of the North Korean Democratization Alliance, said that the Grand National Party would be hard-pressed to win the presidential election with the United States warming up to North Korea.
In a meeting in Seoul with young adults and college students on 21st, he stated that “the United States’ lifting of the financial sanction toward North Korea for sake of hiding the failure of the United States’ policy toward North Korea was very wrong.”
President Hwang stated that “the U.S. government can shift its policies depending on the shift of the power between the parties,” and said that “in the long run, it could be said that United States’ strategy is wrong, but there is no need to protest against them.”
He added that “we should be solving the nuclear problems of North Korea while strengthening the U.S.-South Korea alliance.”
Also, he pointed out that “in principle, it was wrong to even think of giving North Korea aid in return for North Korea’s suspension of its nuclear program.” Assessing North Korea should not have been based on whether it has nuclear weapons or not, but how harsh the government suppressed its people and left them to starve, he said.
Concerning the trend of the party’s leaning toward assimilation policy, he noted, “it is neither in our political creed nor in our platform,” and warned that “while the policy toward North Korea as election strategy is viable, but a resolution to help the North Koreans rather than Kim Jong Il is more important.”
He speculated that it would be difficult for the Grand National Party to win the presidential election, as long as the U.S. softens up toward North Korea; “it’s hard for Grand National Party to look forward to a definite victory,” he said.
He commented on the political atmosphere shifting toward more favorable position for Kim Jong Il, “it is a big victory for Kim Jong Il… and a huge blow for United States as well as South Korea.”
