PPP lawmaker calls for dismissal of unification minister, spy chief over security concerns

People Power Party lawmaker Seong Il-jong on Tuesday renewed his calls for the dismissal of Unification Minister Jeong Dong-young and National Intelligence Service Director Lee Jong-seok, saying "there is no room for experimentation in diplomacy and security."

Speaking on KBS Radio's Jeongyeok Sisa program, Seong said that in matters of foreign affairs and national security, "problems must be resolved the moment they arise, with no margin for error," and then asked pointedly, "Aren't there those who favor self-reliance and those who favor the alliance right now?"

He then said, "People say there is no ruling or opposition party when it comes to security — yet is the Lee Jae Myung administration's cabinet divided between self-reliance advocates and alliance advocates? How anxious must the public be?"

Seong referenced Monday's national audit of the South Korean Embassy in Washington, saying that "Minister Jeong bears significant responsibility for the recent signs of trouble in Korea-US intelligence cooperation on North Korea."

He said Jeong "lied repeatedly, claiming there was nothing wrong with Korea-US intelligence exchanges or the bilateral relationship," and added, "How can a unification minister — who is responsible for managing Korean Peninsula security and reunification — tell such brazen lies to the public?"

Seong also criticized remarks made Monday by South Korean Ambassador to the United States Kang Kyung-wha, who said that while the two countries had held various consultations over intelligence cooperation issues, no individual had been singled out. Seong said, "In state-to-state relations, individuals are not called out by name."

He then said, "A minister representing South Korea is the mouthpiece of South Korea's intelligence," adding, "South Korea's prosperity was built on the Korea-US alliance as its cornerstone — and the minister is tearing that down."

On NIS Director Lee, Seong said, "The Korea-US alliance moves forward on two pillars — intelligence and military," and that "the NIS has a great capacity to work behind the scenes, exchange information and resolve issues when various problems arise."

Seong also raised the issue of a visa problem involving an NIS employee and Democratic Party lawmaker Jung Chung-rae. He said the Foreign Ministry bore some responsibility for failing to manage the matter, but that "it was a problem the NIS should have resolved," and called for Lee's replacement.

Seong warned that "without a reshuffling of the diplomacy and security line, the damage to the public will grow," adding that "because we have so few satellites, intelligence is an extremely important factor in managing North Korea." He said, "If we are not receiving that intelligence, how can we respond? This is a matter of life and death for the public."

On the recent rise in the PPP's approval rating, Seong said he believed "the ruling party's policy failures are the cause," but drew a line, saying, "Policies that affect people's lives are not something you experiment with lightly."