The South Korean National Assembly today passed a condemnatory resolution on North Korea’s attack on Yeonpyeong Island.
In a National Assembly plenary session this afternoon, the “Resolution to Denounce North Korea’s Armed Provocative Action” was adopted by a vote of 261 in favor, one against and nine abstentions.
In the wording of the resolution, the National Assembly “denounced strongly North Korea’s shelling as an obvious armed provocative action violating the Inter-Korean Basic Agreement, the Armistice Agreement and Clause 3, the Article 2 of the UN Charter and threatening seriously people’s lives and security.”
“North Korea’s armed provocative action, unparalleled since the armistice” is further labeled an “act of invasion” and an “unforgivable criminal act.” Additionally, “The ROK National Assembly confirms that the responsibility for all results caused by this lie completely in North Korea’s hands.”
The National Assembly also “urges North Korea to give up immediately its provocative actions raising inter-Korean conflict and tension on the Korean Peninsula, and apologize.”
The resolution also calls on the South Korean administration to make a diplomatic effort to encourage international society, including the UN, to realize the significance of the problem, calling North Korea’s provocative armed actions an “internationally grave problem harming peace in Northeast Asia.”
There was an attempt by some opposition parties to including articles in the resolution about the “establishment of a peace treaty and inter-Korean talks,” but the ruling Grand National Party refused to accept the suggestions and the original resolution, which passed the National Defense Committee of the National Assembly yesterday, passed in its original form.
Meanwhile, the only lawmaker who voted against the resolution, Cho Seung Soo of the New Progressive Party, revealed why he was against the resolution during a debate before the vote, saying, “If the National Assembly uses this North Korean armed provocation as an opportunity to pass the resolution for a military reaction… how can an immediate punishment or retaliation several times over help peace on the Korean Peninsula?”
He added, “Calm judgments are needed. If we only react militarily to military actions, both the significance of North Korea’s actions and criticisms of them can only shrink.”
Meanwhile, Song Young Sun, a member of the National Defense Committee of the National Assembly, gave the opposite view, saying she abstained from the vote because the contents of the resolution were highly inadequate.
She pointed out during the resolution debate, “I want to ask you if these extremely bland contents can be enough to comfort the people and international society’s indignation,” and added, “This resolution, which is just like an agreement to cover up an assault, will provide Kim Jong Il and the North Korean military authorities with a chance to look down on our government and military.”
