Ruling Party Rebuts Na Kyung-won's Thank-You Letter to Zelensky as 'Treasonous Act'

Ruling and opposition lawmakers clashed on the 10th over whether Representative Na Kyung-won's thank-you letter to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky regarding the repatriation of North Korean soldiers constituted an act of treason.

Democratic Party spokesperson Lee Yong-woo said in a written briefing on the 10th that Representative Na had "slandered our government, which sought to hold Ukraine accountable for breaking its non-disclosure commitment, with the absurd accusation that it intended to abandon North Korean soldiers to their deaths." He demanded that she "stop the irresponsible demagoguery of branding even the request, in line with international standards, to protect the safety of the individuals and their families as 'pro-North Korean.'" Representative Kim Byung-joo also wrote on Facebook, "How is this any different from Lee Wan-yong, who sold out the country for personal gain? Immediately cease this treasonous act."

Regarding the government's repatriation measure, which led to South Korean Ambassador to Ukraine Park Ki-chang's return home, Representative Na criticized it as "an act of diplomatic self-harm," saying, "This baffling diplomatic conflict can only be explained as a show directed at North Korean leader Kim Jong-un." She added, "We have sent a servile, submissive message to Pyongyang that North Korean soldiers are not welcome to defect and come to South Korea, so rest assured," and asked, "Now which country, Ukraine included, will help North Korean prisoners of war defect?" She continued, "In the end, the Lee Jae-myung administration has perfectly succeeded in completely blocking the repatriation of a second and third group of North Korean POWs," adding, "The Lee Jae-myung administration, which turns its back on the lives of its compatriots out of consideration for North Korea's sensibilities, is truly a thoroughly 'pro-North Korean regime.'"