Where Does the ULD Leader Belong, South Korea or Japan?

Where Does the ULD Leader Belong, South Korea or Japan?. June. 09, 2003 21:32. by Sung-Won Park swpark@donga.com.

Kim Jong-pil, president of the United Liberal Democrats party raised a controversy regarding his remark over the passage of a wartime contingency bill by the Japanese parliament.

He said in a telephone interview with the CBS radio station on June 9 that Japan`s decision to pass a wartime contingency bill should be regarded as a measure the least a sovereign nation can take to protect national interests and sovereign rights against outside attacks. He said, “It is wrong for us to criticize a neighboring country for making a decision on which we don`t share the view.”

With regard to Japan`s wartime contingency bill, ULD spokesman Yoo Un-young commented the previous day; “Japan`s neighboring countries are giving an infantilistic criticism to Japan for having made a decision to enhance its military capability to secure its national interests and self-defense.”

In particular, the ULD leader pointed out, “North Korea caused Japan to form its Self Defense Force as it launched attacks against South Korea in June 25 1950 and recently it has posed a nuclear threat to Japan which forced Japan to adopt a wartime contingency bill. Against this backdrop, North Korea should deserve all the blames for the recent development in Japan.”

LDP president Kim also assessed the outcome of President Roh`s visit to Japan by saying, “The president`s four day visit was a success in efforts to establish future-oriented bilateral relations and peacefully solve the North Korean nuclear crisis. In addition, touching on public criticism for his failure to mention on the issues related to its past history, he said, “When we are trapped in the past, there is no future.”

Opposition Grand National Party spokesman Park Jong-hee criticized the ULD leader for his remark by saying, “How could JP make a similar remark to those of Japanese conservatives. Where does the ULD leader belong, South Korea or Japan?”

Ruling Millennium Democratic Party vice spokesman echoed the GNP commentary by saying, “We should face the essence of Japan which tries to arm itself by taking advantage of North Korea`s nuclear threat without liquidation of its wartime past.”