Park Geun-hye, “I Will Protect the NSL”

GNP Chairwoman Park Geun-hye announced on September 9 that she would risk losing her position to protect the National Security Law which the ruling party is promoting and requested President Roh to withdraw his statement about abolishing the National Security Law.

As Chairwoman Park took such a firm action, the ruling and opposition parties are standing face-to-face and appear to be headed towards a head-on collision about the maintenance or abolition of the National Security Law.

Chairwoman Park also condemned President Roh that day at a special press interview that was held at the headquarters of GNP in Yeomchang-dong, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, saying, “The president, who is ultimately the responsible person for protecting the national defense as well as the systems of this country, is taking the lead in forcing South Korea’s disarmament and putting South Korea into a great ideology conflict and split public opinion.”

She added, “As the armed standoff between South and North Korea continues, we should not allow the slightest gap in protecting the foundation of our system, which is liberal democracy and a market economy,” and added, “I will do everything to stop the National Security Law from being abolished.”

Also, Chairwoman Park said, “If President Roh ignores the people and keeps pushing the abolishment of the Law, then he will face great opposition from the nation,” and followed, saying, “If the ruling party enforces the abolishment, then I will leave all possibilities open and go on a campaign against the government with the people.”

Regarding probes into history, Chairwoman Park said, “I will confront the truth squarely and will positively reject those who want to use this as a political maneuver,” and insisted, “President Roh should not agitate the country anymore by the National Security Law issue and the controversy about past history, but should make the issue of saving the economy as the priority task of managing the government.”

Accordingly, Spokesperson Kim Hyun-mi of the Uri Party declared, “The people’s trust and pride about the liberal democracy and the market economy is what protects our nation, not the National Security Law,” and refuted, “A person who persists in the National Security Law which violates human rights has no right to speak about democracy.”

Yeon-Wook Jung jyw11@donga.com