On North Korean captives reportedly wanting to defect to Seoul, People Power Party expresses support; Democratic Party withholds stance
Rep. Yu Yong-weon of the People Power Party is heading to Ukraine's Kyiv to learn about North Korea's military presence in the war.
The first-time lawmaker said in a statement Sunday that he would be meeting with Ukrainian government and military officials to discuss North Korea's input in the war.
"I wish to listen to Ukrainian officials' first-hand accounts of how North Korean troops are fighting in the battles, gaining experience in modern warfare, and with their insights, possibly help our military come up with countermeasures," Yu said.
Yu added that he was not visiting as a representative of his party or the South Korean government, but as an individual lawmaker.
"I am visiting Ukraine as the first South Korean lawmaker since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, which gives me a sense of mission," he said.
Yu said through his visit he also wished to strengthen solidarity between Ukrainian and South Korean lawmakers, and discuss cooperation on postwar reconstruction.
Earlier this week, the People Power Party said North Korean captives in Ukraine should be extended government support for their defection to South Korea.
"If any of the North Korean soldiers who are held captive in Ukraine wish to repatriate to South Korea, our government should strive to make the necessary efforts," Rep. Kwon Young-se, the People Power Party's leader, said Thursday.
Kwon, who served as minister of inter-Korean affairs, said that if the North Korean captives are returned to North Korea, they would likely face death.
The Democratic Party of Korea, on the other hand, has refrained from commenting on where they stand on North Korean soldiers reportedly conveying their wish to defect to South Korea.
"I think the Democratic Party will get to speak about where we stand on their wishing to defect to South Korea in time," Rep. Kim Min-seok, the Democratic Party's supreme council, told a press conference Sunday.
At the same press conference, Kim touted "progress in inter-Korean relations" as one of Rep. Lee Jae-myung's feats as a leader of the party that has the majority in the Assembly.
Asked to elaborate, Kim said, "Even before Yoon's Dec. 3 declaration of martial law, we have said that inter-Korean relations should not be used for domestic politics. That has been our guiding principle."
arin@heraldcorp.com
