Song Eon-seok, floor leader of the People Power Party, said on the 29th that Unification Minister Jeong Dong-young’s suggestion of calling North Korea “Joseon” is “clearly unconstitutional.”
In a Facebook post that afternoon, Song wrote, “That’s one more reason Jeong should be dismissed.”
Song said Jeong had previously used the North’s official name, the “Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,” and that a Unification Ministry official has now issued an official position on whether to refer to North Korea as “Joseon,” saying it would be decided “after public discussion through various channels.”
Song argued that calling North Korea “Joseon” would mean recognizing it as a separate, equal state under the North’s “two states” theory. He said that would violate Article 3 of the Constitution, which defines the nation’s territory, and Article 4, which states unification as a national goal.
The People Power Party introduced a motion on April 24 urging Jeong’s dismissal and reported it to a plenary session the previous day. The motion was automatically discarded after it was not put to a vote before the deadline.
In another Facebook post the previous day, Song criticized the ruling party, writing, “What is a 60-seat majority ruling party so afraid of that it can’t even vote on a dismissal motion?” He added, “If you want to reject it, then reject it—what are you worried about that you use this kind of trick to let it lapse?”
* This article has been translated by AI.
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