Parties condemn NK missile test, slam gov't humanitarian aid offer

By Kim Rahn

Political parties unanimously condemned North Korea's ballistic missile test Friday, saying the international community needs to strengthen cooperation to put pressure on the Kim Jong-un regime.

The opposition parties also denounced the Moon Jae-in government for lacking effective countermeasures against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats and attempting to provide humanitarian aid to the North at a time of continuous provocations.

Rep. Park Wan-joo, a spokesman of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), said it was regrettable that the North keeps repeating provocations despite South Korea's continuous efforts for peace on the Korean Peninsula.

"Pyongyang is bringing upon itself complete isolation from international society," he said. "China and Russia will have no choice but to participate in strong global sanctions against the North."

The main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) said North Korea seems to be developing nuclear missiles according to its own method and schedule considering the frequency of the provocations.

"The U.N. Security Council (UNSC) adopted a new resolution with sanctions, but it is becoming clear that moderate sanctions cannot stop the North," Rep. Jun Hee-kyung, a spokeswoman of the LKP, said.

Separately from condemning the provocation, opposition parties pointed out that the missile was fired only a day after Seoul announced the plan to provide humanitarian assistance worth $8 million to Pyongyang through international organizations. They said the Moon administration's continuous offers for dialogue and engagement are not working, urging it to change its basic stance.

The LKP said the Moon government had "given up security."

"While Japan issues an evacuation order to its people, the South Korean government is talking about $8 million in humanitarian aid," Jun said.

She also denounced Moon's remarks in an interview with CNN, Thursday, that he is against having South Korea's own nuclear weapons or redeploying U.S. tactical nuclear weapons here. "A nuclear threat should be deterred by nuclear weapons. Moon's opposition means he has abandoned security."

Bareun Party spokesman Park Jeong-ha also said, "The random plan for humanitarian aid and Moon's opposition to redeployment of nuclear weapons to the South have made us a laughing stock in one day.

"Moon should not confuse people with ambiguous comments anymore, but make it clear where he is driving South Korea and whether he will leave 50 million South Koreans as hostages to Kim's nuclear weapons."

Rep. Son Kum-ju, a spokesman of the People's Party, said the missile test was the North's answer to the South's humanitarian aid talks. "We must not expect North Korea to change its attitude anymore," he said.

Son said the North is likely to soon complete developing intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) with nuclear warheads, which President Moon earlier defined as the "red line."

"The government needs to consider changing its North Korea policy fundamentally, including setting up countermeasures against the North's possible crossing of the red line," he said. "We should no longer confuse our wishes with reality."