"Many people are wondering about the forced repatriation of fishermen."

Following the murder of a civil servant in the West Sea in September 2020, the ruling camp has taken issue with the forced repatriation of North Koreans in November 2019. The new and old power conflict front is widening to inter-Korean-related events during the Moon Jae In administration.

Asked by reporters on his way to work on the 21st whether he was willing to look into the forced repatriation of North Koreans again, President Yoon Seok-yeol replied, "We are still considering it, but haven't the people raised a lot of questions?" He then said, "Many people were wondering and raised a lot of questions, but I think (the government) is looking into it." The forced repatriation of North Koreans was a case in November 2019 in which two North Koreans, who allegedly committed murder and defected to the South, were deported to North Korea through the truce village of Panmunjom five days after the capture.

The ruling party also immediately joined the move, demanding the truth be found on the forced repatriation. "We need to find out the truth about the forced repatriation of North Korean sailors," floor leader Kwon Seong-dong said at the first meeting of the party's "Task Force to Investigate the Attack of Marine Department Officials."

On top of that, the people's power aimed at former President Moon Jae In as they raised the "six-hour suspicion" until Lee Dae-joon, a ministry official, was captured and killed by a North Korean ship in the murder of a civil servant in the West Sea. Representative Ha Tae-kyung, who headed the TF, said, "I think the Moon Jae In government helped (Lee) even though it could have saved him," and stressed, "We will thoroughly investigate the entire process of the second murder, including the Wolbuk-dong."

The ruling and opposition parties continued to argue over the access of presidential records. Regarding the Democratic Party's claim for the disclosure of military special information (SI), which was the basis for the judgment of "voluntary North Korea," floor leader Kwon said, "It will be solved more easily if presidential records are released than SI disclosure." In response, Woo Sang-ho, chairman of the Democratic Party's emergency committee, said, "If the ruling party wants to engage in political disputes over whether to disclose it or not, there is no reason not to disclose it," but added, "What benefits will it make by constantly biting the former president?" Is this the ruling party's attitude to manage state affairs?" he criticized.

However, both the ruling and opposition parties have not taken concrete actions to view presidential records that require consent from more than two-thirds of incumbent lawmakers in the National Assembly. A political official said, "This is partly because the National Assembly's standing committee, including the National Defense Commission, has not been formed to conduct related discussions, but we do not know what the results will be when we read the data."

Date: 2022-06-22

Reporter: 정호연