Jang Dong-hyuk, the leader of the People Power Party, criticized President Lee Jae Myung’s defense of Unification Minister Chung Dong-young on Tuesday. He argued that this choice indicates a preference for a pro-North Korea China-South Korea alliance.
Jang posted on Facebook with the headline, Lee Jae-myung’s ‘Decision to Break Up with America.
He created a hypothetical scenario where former U.S. President Donald Trump asks of Repulic of Korea (ROK)-U.S. Alliance or Korea-China alliance. Jang then imagined President Lee responding with Pro-North Korea China-South Korea alliance!! in a mock dialogue format.
Jang also shared an image combining Trump’s photo with the slang term Fuck Around and Find Out (FAFO), which means if you mess around, you’ll face the consequences. This image is identical to the one Trump posted on his social media account on the day Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was arrested.
The controversy erupted when the U.S. recently restricted some of the North Korea-related intelligence it had been sharing with South Korea. The cause was attributed to Minister Chung’s statements in the National Assembly.
On March 6, Minister Chung appeared before the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee of the National Assembly. He mentioned that high-enriched uranium production is taking place at enrichment facilities in Yongbyon, Kusong, and Kangson.
While foreign research institutions have previously discussed the Kusong nuclear facility, it is unusual for a government official to confirm this publicly. This prompted U.S. officials to inquire about the matter with the Ministry of Unification.
As the controversy escalated, President Lee defended his position on X (formerly Twitter) the day before. He stated that the existence of the Kusong nuclear facility is a well-established fact, widely known globally through various academic papers and media reports.