According to the Liberty Forward Party president Lee Hoi Chang, “We have to resolve Inter-Korea relations problems on a principled basis, and on the right path.”
Lee was holding a meeting of the party on the morning of the 11th at the National Assembly, wherein he issued the criticism, “Within the Grand National Party (GNP) nowadays, the idea of steeply expanding humanitarian aid has been proposed. Such a claim ignores the true nature of North-South problem as a whole.”
Lee pointed out, “Even though we are facing a temporary stalemate in inter-Korean relations, we have to show that Northern pressure is ineffective and, by doing so, transform relations into realistic, positive ones. This is not a left-right or a progressive-conservative issue, but one that requires change based on common sense.”
He maintained, “Just as the Obama administration is showing a will to acknowledge North Korea’s nuclear capability with a focus on diplomatic progress, the notion that our government needs to take a seemingly active and appeasing stance is exceedingly worrisome. At times like these, North-South relations have to be resolved through a principled and just approach.”
“Insisting on appeasement, and persuading the North to drop its threats against the South, without even convincing the South Korean people, is a traditional and conservative approach based on a pro-North Korean attitude which denies real change,” he further criticized.
“Now is not the time to glance warmly towards the North, but is a time to persuade our citizens to harbor patience for change and progress in inter-Korean relations,” he stressed.
