Ruling People Power Party lawmakers attend the presidential inauguration in Washington. From left: Reps. Cho Jung-hun, Kim Dai-sik, Na Kyung-won and Kang Dae-kuk.
Ruling People Power Party lawmakers attend the presidential inauguration in Washington. From left: Reps. Cho Jung-hun, Kim Dai-sik, Na Kyung-won and Kang Dae-kuk.

As US President Donald Trump took office, the People Power Party called for joint efforts with the US to dismantle North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs, while the Democratic Party of Korea urged initiatives for peace on the Korean Peninsula.

The ruling People Power Party said in a statement Tuesday that it is “imperative that the international community, led by the South Korea-US alliance, work together to ensure that North Korea scraps its nuclear weapons and missiles, to improve human rights in North Korea, and to eventually end the dictatorship of Kim Jong-un.”

The People Power Party highlighted the significance of Seoul’s alliance with Washington.

“The South Korea-US alliance is not just words written on a piece of paper. It is a bond forged in blood, fighting together on the battlefields of the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the Iraq War,” the ruling party said.

The People Power Party expressed concern over a shift in the international political climate.

“The international situation surrounding South Korea has never been more volatile due to North Korea’s routine military provocations, the war in Ukraine and North Korea’s troop deployments to Russia,” the party said.

South Korea was also facing unprecedented domestic political challenges, with the impeachment and criminal investigation of the sitting president, the party said. “Under these circumstances, President Trump’s inauguration is more significant than ever, for Korea’s security and economy,” it said.

Rep. Kweon Seong-dong, the People Power Party floor leader, said Tuesday that given the complex international and domestic landscape, the Democratic Party should “stop undermining the administration,” which is already led by an acting president.

“With many changes expected as the second Trump administration assumes power, the priority facing South Korea is to stabilize the country. The Democratic Party should stop engaging in partisan attacks against the administration,” he said, in an apparent reference to the opposition’s threats to impeach Choi Sang-mok, who is the second acting president in a month following the impeachment of Yoon and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Party said it would submit a National Assembly resolution calling for measures to strengthen the South Korea-US alliance and for joint Korean Peninsula peace efforts.

“We congratulate President Trump on his second presidential inauguration, and sincerely hope that there will be an opportunity to bring peace to the Korean Peninsula once again as we strengthen our alliance further,” Rep. Kim Byung-joo, one of the 81 Democratic Party lawmakers who authored the bill, told reporters.

Rep. Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party chair, reiterated his focus on a “diplomacy of pragmatism” at a meeting of the party leadership Monday. “Both the government and the National Assembly must remain flexible and pursue a pragmatic approach to navigate turbulent waters,” he said.

Lee has criticized Yoon’s foreign policy approach of distancing South Korea from China while more closely aligning with the US and Japan as “unpragmatic.”

In a separate statement, the Democratic Party said it was committed to deepening cooperation between South Korea and the US. “The bond between South Korea and the US will remain strong, and our alliance will flourish for years to come. We look forward to the next chapter of our enduring alliance,” the party said.

Meanwhile a delegation of South Korean lawmakers is on a trip to Washington to attend the presidential inauguration.

People Power Party Rep. Kim Dai-sik said he spoke with Roger Stone, one of Trump’s close political confidantes, at the Starlight Inaugural Ball about the need for close cooperation between the two countries amid uncertainties in the international environment.