On October 13, rival parties clashed in the National Assembly's Defense Committee over a resolution condemning North Korea's landmine explosion in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). The Democratic Party demanded a vote on the resolution, while the People Power Party called for additional discussions to amend the wording to include 'North Korean provocation.' Jin Sung-jun, the Democratic Party's Defense Committee chair, announced plans to process the resolution on October 14.
Im Jong-deuk, the opposition's secretary from the People Power Party, criticized the resolution during the committee meeting, stating, "There are many issues with the wording of the North Korea resolution. It is not appropriate to pressure a decision in the full committee before discussing it in subcommittees."
Fellow party member Yoo Young-ha argued that the title of the resolution, which condemns the explosion, is incorrect and insisted that it should specify 'North Korean landmine provocation.'
Kim Byeong-joo, the ruling party's secretary, criticized the People Power Party's additional demands, including a review of humanitarian aid to North Korea. He remarked, "The People Power Party is insisting on re-evaluating humanitarian support measures. It is a matter of will that they refuse to convene a subcommittee despite the Defense Committee chair's request for compromise. We must adopt the resolution today, even if it requires a vote."
He expressed frustration, stating, "The behavior of the People Power Party in the Defense Committee is extremely infuriating. They are not participating in the field or condemning the incident." He added that he believed the People Power Party should have been disbanded during the December 3 insurrection. This led to a heated exchange among members of the People Power Party.
Yoo later stated, "If we decide by vote, it will look bad. Politics should not be about forcing decisions but about finding compromise." He also countered claims about the insurrection, asserting that no members, including himself, supported the December 3 emergency martial law, and he has never labeled the Democratic Party as a criminal organization despite ongoing allegations against President Lee Jae-myung.
Following the back-and-forth, Chair Jin urged members to convene a subcommittee today to prepare a committee alternative for the full assembly, asserting, "We will process it tomorrow, no matter what happens."
Meanwhile, the parties had previously clashed over the resolution during a National Assembly audit at the Daejeon Military Manpower Administration. The Defense Committee had referred resolutions proposed by both parties to the bill review subcommittee on October 7, but disagreements over the content have delayed adoption.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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