Ruling party leader condemns North Korea troop dispatch as crime against humanity

People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon (Yonhap)

Han Dong-hoon, the leader of the ruling People Power Party, on Monday condemned North Korea for participating in Russia’s war in Ukraine.

At a meeting of the party's leadership, Han said North Korean leader Kim Jong-un sending troops to Russia was a “serious challenge to international peace” and a “crime against humanity.”

“The Kim Jong-un regime, with its decision to enter the war, has made it seem like the Korean Peninsula has something to do with the ongoing power clash involving authoritarian powers such as Russia and China. This is a dangerous precedent for Korea and Northeast Asia,” he said.

He called for building a “united front together with allies and partners” to anticipate and prepare for North Korea and Russia’s next steps. “As our military authorities have said, we need to move in a way that maximizes deterrence of war while managing the ensuing unrest,” he said.

He said that the ruling party and the Yoon Suk Yeol administration “need to be on the lookout for unintended consequences” of North Korea’s growing involvement in the war. “We have to make sure that South Koreans don’t wake up every day worrying about the peace and security of our country. We have to put the safety of our people and our national interest above all else.”

The Democratic Party of Korea on Monday adopted the platform of banning exports of key weapons without National Assembly approval in response to Yoon hinting at offering “offensive weapons” aid to Ukraine.

“The People Power Party and the Yoon administration are looking to send our troops to the war in Ukraine without the consent of the National Assembly,” said Rep. Kim Byung-joo, who is on the Democratic Party’s supreme council.

Citing a recent poll by a liberal-leaning pollster, the Democratic Party lawmaker said more than 80 percent of South Koreans were against sending troops to the war. The poll surveyed 1,003 people aged 18 and up through phone interviews on Oct. 25 and 26.

The Democratic Party warned that an attempt at deeper engagement in the Russia-Ukraine war would be met with the impeachment of Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun.