Lawmaker, unification minister clash over “northern-origin” term at audit
In short
At South Korea's National Assembly audit of the Unification Ministry on Oct 7, People Power Party lawmaker Park Chung-kwon, a North Korean defector, objected to Minister Chung Dong-young's use of the term “northern-origin people” instead of “defectors,” saying he would call the minister “North Korea's spokesperson” if it continued. Ruling Democratic Party lawmakers called the remark a political attack, and Park did not attend afternoon questioning. Chung also addressed a Sept 21 DMZ landmine explosion that injured South Korean soldiers and said re-confirming the military demarcation line could be discussed in North Korea-US talks.
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South Korea's National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee audited the Unification Ministry on Oct 7 at the South-North Dialogue Secretariat in Jongno-gu, Seoul, where a dispute over terminology dominated the session. People Power Party lawmaker Park Chung-kwon objected to Minister Chung Dong-young's use of the term “northern-origin people” for North Korean defectors, saying he felt insulted and that the term lacks the resolve implied by “defectors,” which he said describes those who came to the free Republic of Korea in opposition to the North's dictatorship. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Park, who the Kyunghyang Shinmun reported conducted research related to nuclear and missile programmes in North Korea before defecting in April 2009, said he would call the minister “North Korea's spokesperson” or the “Bukdongyeong minister” if the term continued. Chung had changed the wording to “northern-origin people,” meaning people with their hometown in the North, after taking office last year, saying the previous term carried a negative connotation. [ 2 , 3 ]
Ruling Democratic Party lawmakers protested. Lee Ki-heon said that if the minister were to be called a spokesperson for the North Korean regime, the audit should not be held, calling the remark a political attack and personal venting. Park did not attend the afternoon questioning session, according to the Kyunghyang Shinmun. [ 2 ]
Park also raised an allegation that the Unification Ministry and the lawyers' group Minbyun were inducing North Korean defectors settled in the South to return to the North. The ministry issued a position statement calling the claim groundless and saying repatriation against a person's will could never happen. [ 2 ]
On the landmine explosion in the western Demilitarized Zone that injured South Korean soldiers last month, Chung called it an unfortunate incident and said thorough preparations were needed so that such an event would not happen again. He said the government has repeatedly raised the issue of the North's fencing and mine-laying along the Military Demarcation Line, which he said erodes the armistice agreement, and that he considered the UN Command to have taken a somewhat relaxed attitude before the incident. Chung said that if a North Korea-US summit is held, dialogue on re-confirming the MDL could take place at that table, adding that confirmation by the UN Command and North Korea would help peace and stability. Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon asked whether the MDL could be decided by North Korea and the United States without South Korea. [ 1 , 2 ]
Why it matters
The hearing puts the ruling and opposition camps' competing approaches to North Korea policy on display, with the dispute over what to call North Korean defectors standing in for broader disagreements about the Unification Ministry's direction. Chung's remarks on the DMZ landmine incident and on military demarcation line talks raise the question of how Seoul would be involved in arrangements the documents say could be discussed between North Korea and the United States.
Key facts
- The National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee audited the Unification Ministry on Oct 7 at the South-North Dialogue Secretariat in Jongno-gu, Seoul. [ 2 , 3 ]
- People Power Party lawmaker Park Chung-kwon, who defected from North Korea in April 2009, said using the term “northern-origin people” for defectors is insulting to him. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Minister Chung Dong-young changed the term to “northern-origin people” after taking office last year, saying “defectors” carries negative connotations. [ 2 ]
- Park said that if the minister continued to use the term, he would call him “North Korea's spokesperson” or the “Bukdongyeong minister.” [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Democratic Party lawmaker Lee Ki-heon called the remark a political attack and “venting,” and Park did not attend the afternoon questioning session. [ 2 ]
- Park alleged the Unification Ministry and the lawyers' group Minbyun were inducing settled defectors to return to North Korea; the ministry called the claim groundless and said repatriation against a person's will could not happen. [ 2 ]
- Chung said a landmine explosion by North Korean troops in the western DMZ last month that injured South Korean soldiers was regrettable and that thorough preparations were needed to prevent a recurrence. [ 1 , 2 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- The Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee held an audit of the Unification Ministry on Oct 7, and Park Chung-kwon objected to Minister Chung Dong-young's use of the term “northern-origin people.” [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- South Korean soldiers were injured in a landmine explosion in the western DMZ that Chung Dong-young described as an unfortunate incident that must not recur. [ 1 , 2 ]
Still unclear
- Whether the Unification Ministry and Minbyun attempted to induce North Korean defectors to return to the North. The allegation is reported from Park Chung-kwon alone; the ministry issued a statement calling it groundless and saying repatriation against a person's will is impossible.
- Whether the military demarcation line could be re-confirmed through North Korea-US talks without South Korea's participation. Chung Dong-young raised the possibility and independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon questioned it; the documents record no resolution.
- The exact date of the DMZ landmine explosion. Only one document dates it, as the 21st of last month, which is Sept 21 given the Oct 7 publication date; the other document refers to the incident without a date.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Korea Economic Daily publishes its report on the committee hearing, including Park Chung-kwon's remark about calling the minister “Bukdongyeong.” [ 1 ]
- Kyunghyang Shinmun publishes a detailed account of the exchange, the ruling party's response and the ministry's denial of the repatriation allegation. [ 2 ]
- Chosun Ilbo publishes its report on Park's objection to the term “northern-origin people.” [ 3 ]