Han Dong-hoon: 'Can you fail a test and still act proud?' over joint drills cutback

Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon took aim at the Lee Jae-myung government Wednesday over the US decision to scale back joint military exercises with South Korea, asking, "Can you fail a test and still act proud?"

Speaking at a plenary session of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, Han criticized what he described as the government's position that joint drills are unnecessary as long as North Korea-US dialogue is progressing. "You keep saying that North Korea-US dialogue is some kind of cheat code that justifies everything," he said.

Han said the government was unconditionally embracing that position without knowing where US-North Korea talks — conducted without Seoul's involvement — might lead, or how far President Donald Trump, mired in multiple domestic political crises, might concede by using South Korea as a bargaining chip. "I believe that stance is deeply against the national interest," he said.

Han also said the government's failure to learn in advance of the US decision to unilaterally reduce and suspend the joint exercises amounted to a diplomatic failure. "No matter how unpredictable President Donald Trump may be, if the test is hard, does that make it acceptable to score zero and still hold your head high?" he said, sharpening his criticism of the Lee administration.