The People Power Party sharply criticized the Lee Jae-myung administration's North Korea and security policies after Pyongyang fired short-range ballistic missiles, arguing that the government should not cling to a conciliatory approach while the North continues its military provocations.
Jang Dong-hyuk, leader of the People Power Party, wrote on Facebook on the 12th that "we must further strengthen our military capabilities and keep the South Korea-U.S. alliance unshakable." He added, "That is what the president should be doing and what the government is responsible for, but the Lee Jae-myung administration keeps going in the opposite direction."
Jang took direct aim at President Lee Jae-myung's self-described role as a "pace-setter" in shuttle diplomacy between Pyongyang and Washington, which the president has emphasized in inter-Korean relations. "President Lee is still only repeating his 'pace-setter' argument," Jang said. "While unable to say a single proper word either to North Korea, which fires missiles, or to the United States, which presses for troop deployments, being a 'pace-setter' is not something just anyone can do."
He also criticized the government's plan to merge the military academies and its handling of wartime operational control. "Merging the military academies is effectively a declaration of abandoning South Korea's national defense," he said. "The nominee for defense minister says he agrees with the remark that there would be no problem even if wartime operational control were taken back tomorrow. He also gave only vague answers about who our main enemy is." Jang added, "Talking about national defense while draining the military's strength, and talking about peace while shaking the South Korea-U.S. alliance, is itself deceiving the public," stressing that "protecting the people and the country is the president's greatest duty."
Park Sung-hoon, the party's chief spokesperson, said in a commentary the same day that "the Lee Jae-myung administration, consistent in its 'fake peace' and loose view of security, is making matters worse." He added, "Even as North Korea openly escalates its show of force and threatens the safety of our people, the administration's gaze remains fixed on unrealistic conciliatory measures and a submissive view of North Korea." He urged the government to "face the harsh security reality on the Korean Peninsula and immediately wake up from the perilous 'security complacency' that is preoccupied with currying favor with North Korea."
North Korea fired several short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea in the early hours of the same day. According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, South Korea's military detected multiple short-range ballistic missiles launched from the area around Wonsan, North Korea, toward the East Sea starting at around 5:20 a.m.
