The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs attempted to sway voters toward conservative candidates ahead of last year’s general and presidential elections, Democratic Party Rep. Chyung Ho-joon claimed Monday.
According to Chyung, a booklet distributed by the ministry branded progressive politicians ― including late former presidents Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun ― as being pro-North Korea.
In the booklet, the ministry claims that North Korea was plotting to turn overseas voters toward its cause in order to bring about the launch of a “pro-North Korean administration.”
The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs also claimed that pro-North Korean organizations following Pyongyang’s orders would mobilize voters with political views aligned with theirs in order to influence the outcome of elections.
In describing Pyongyang’s anti-South Korean programs, the booklet states that North Korea aims to undermine the South Korean government through “pro-North sunshine theorists disguised as pacifist forces.”
Although the booklet does not specify it, the sunshine theory refers to the Kim Dae-jung administration’s policy of engaging Pyongyang in order to ease inter-Korean tensions.
The booklet, of which 1,000 copies were produced, was used in various educational programs for about 20,000 people including civil servants, children and teachers.
“Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Park Sung-choon, who used the booklet that disparaged opposition forces as pro-North Korean, should step down immediately,” Chyung said in a statement, saying that the ministry’s actions were a more grievous election interference than that of the National Intelligence Service.
koreaherald@heraldcorp.com
