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Defense Minister An Kyu-baek has strongly rebuked an opposition lawmaker who claimed that the South Korean military is “catering to Kim Jong Un’s whims,” demanding an apology for these egregious remarks against the armed forces and the public.
On the 10th, Minister An took to social media, urging an immediate halt to what he called a “betrayal” of the military, which continues to defend the nation on land, sea, and in the air. He demanded an apology for these statements.
Upon returning from a defense diplomacy trip to Saudi Arabia, An addressed the comments made by Rep. Park Chung-kwon of the People Power Party. “I was informed of a shocking incident in the National Assembly,” An said. “How dare anyone make such remarks about our military?”
The Defense Minister acknowledged that while criticism of government policies or officials is acceptable, there are boundaries. “Language that wouldn’t be tolerated even in the streets should not be uttered during parliamentary questioning,” An stated.
“As Minister of Defense, let me be clear: our military has been and will always be dedicated solely to the safety and security of our nation and its people,” An emphasized. He added that the armed forces will continue to serve the interests of the citizens, not cater to any individual’s mood.
An called on Rep. Park to cease making excuses and apologize to both the military and the public for his inappropriate remarks if he truly understands the gravity of his position. “This is the least he can do for the citizens who elected him to the National Assembly,” the minister asserted.
The controversy arose when Rep. Park, during a parliamentary questioning session, criticized the military’s deterrence posture towards North Korea. He claimed that the military “lacks threat recognition capabilities, countermeasures, discipline, and training,” and that the only thing it excels at is “catering to Kim Jong Un’s mood.”
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