30 First- and Second-Term Assembly Members Criticize the U.S.

Thirty ruling party lawmakers serving their first or second terms in the National Assembly on June 21 raised head-on criticism of America’s invasion of Iraq, saying, “An invasion of a sovereign state which had been based upon the information that had the possibility of fabrication and falsification was a culprit in harming international peace and order. Especially since there had not been any UN resolution or approval from allies.”

At a press conference on the same day, a fraternity policy group called the New Pursuit for National Prosperity, the gathering of Uri party’s rookies and second timers in the Assembly, pointed out: “The war on Iraq has been under heavy criticism that it is not a war that stops terrorism but a war that gets the U.S. and its coalition partners into more trouble by strengthening terrorists.”

They also voiced their concerns, saying, “On the Korean peninsula where most of the intelligence gathering comes from the U.S., its fabrication and falsification in information and military operations against North Korea based on its false information can bring serious consequences.”

Democratic Labor Party (DLP) vice-president Kim Hye-kyung and Chun Young-se urgently held separate press conferences on the same day urging the government to cancel its additional troop deployment decision and to immediately withdraw its forces from Iraq. The DLP is planning to organize a candlelight vigil in Gwanghwamun in downtown Seoul in the evening (on June 21) and to provide the National Assembly with a resolution to scrap the plan for additional troop dispatch on June 23.

Upon the DLP and the Uri party’s move, Grand National Party floor leader Kim Deog-Ryong argued, “It is unacceptable and doesn’t make sense that some of the lawmakers collectively criticize America, Korea’s longtime ally.” He also asked for withdrawal of the statement saying, “Some ruling party legislators who are from the so-called ‘386 generation’ are willing to present a critical statement. However, they should not be obsessed with their dogma as former student activists.”

Jong-Koo Yoon Min-Hyuk Park jkmas@donga.com mhpark@donga.com