In the midst of the shock which has been surrounding the family of Reverend Bae Hyung Gyu, who was kidnapped by Taliban warlord, and every citizen, the Ministry of Unification held a commemoration celebrating the completion of the interior ministerial and office conference room at the time that the assassination threat was reported on the 25th.

News from overseas reported that the Taliban warlord, on the 25th, revealed that it would kill a part of the detained South Korean hostages at 6:30 in the evening if the Afghanistan government does not release eight Taliban prisoners. Consequently, the press conference room packed for an interview with a Foreign Ministry spokesperson showed activity in the midst of taut tension.

Simultaneously, the Ministry of Unification, located on the 4th floor of the Integrated Government Building 100-some meters from the Foreign Ministry Building was engaged in revelry of music and appetizers. A week ago, a commemoration for the completion of construction of the ministerial office conference room was held. Starting with the minister Lee Jae Jang, the people in charge and employees, all dressed to the tops, enjoyed food and appetizers while showing laughter on their faces.

This event was part of a “Happy Hour” held every two weeks for exchanging current affairs of the Ministry and to cultivate a network among the Ministry employees and the Ministry of Unification’s Minister and Vice-Minister. This meeting, which was not held for a month recently, was convened around the time when their countrymen were abducted by warlords and receiving murder threats.

At this event in particular, a “string quartet” composed of ministry personnel performed and elevated the revelry. The small conference room was reminiscent of a party room. An employee in charge of the event also lifted up Minister Lee as the “Star of the Unification Ministry” and incited applauses.

With the event ahead, Minister Lee returning from participating in the government’s security policy arbitration meeting for the resolution of the kidnapping issue equivocated his response as if he could not quite understand the situation alluded to in one reporter’s question, “Are you aware that warlords have threatened to murder detained Koreans by 6:30 this afternoon if the eight Taliban prisoners are not released?”

Of course, the Ministry of Unification is not the department in charge of responding to the late abduction issue. It has no reason to oppose the planned commemorative event. However, in the situation where all citizens are holding their breaths and their hearts’ desire is the safe return of the abductees, the overriding opinion is that holding a celebratory event with food and refreshments is off-target.

To the Ministry, a cleaned-up and decorated conference room might be a celebration-worthy event, but the fact that this is an urgent time where its own countrymen receiving assassination threats should well have been considered. The reason that Minister Lee cannot rise to being “star of the citizens” and not just “star of the Unification Ministry” lies here.