Kim Speech Flayed For Views on War
Opposition parties and former President Kim Young-sam took issue Wednesday with President Kim Dae-jung's remarks describing the 1950-1953 Korean War the "third attempt for unification." The Blue House said the president's words had been taken out of context."Looking back, there were three attempts for unification," Mr. Kim said at a Sept. 28 ceremony to mark the 53th anniversary of the nation's military forces. "Unification at-tempts by the Silla and Koryo [Dynasties] were successful. The third attempt during the Korean War failed. But all three attempts were by force. The fourth attempt, however, should never be carried out by force."
Spokesman Kwon Chul-hyun of the Grand National Party said, "if we are to see the North's aggression made to communize the South as an 'attempt for unification,' should we take any future North Korean aggression as an attempt at unification?
"We can not but express grave concern at this view of history, whether it be the president's or that of his aides," Mr. Kwon added.
"Mr. Kim has made an irrelevant remark as commander-in-chief in charge of national security, when the majority of the people harbor skepticism toward the government's North Korean policy," You Un-young, vice spokesman of the United Liberal Democrats, said.
Representative Park Chong-ung, a spokesman for former President Kim Young-sam, said, "By varnishing the act of crime against the Korean people as an 'attempt for unification,' the president has spoken on behalf of the North Korean communists, and revealed his thoughts and political identity."
The Blue House and the ruling Millennium Democratic Party denounced the opposition and the former president for "crude nitpicking with words."
"The president made the remark in order to stress that there cannot be another war between the two Koreas," said Oh Hong-keun, the Blue House spokesman, on Wednesday.
by Lee Sang-ryeul
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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