In the US Congress, voices continue to express strong concerns about the ROK National Assembly’s handling of the anti-North Korean warfare law. It is pointed out that freedom of expression is the core value of democracy. Reporter Lee Jo-eun reports.
Republican Secretary of the House Foreign Relations Committee, Michael McCawul, said in a statement to the VOA on the 14th that the South Korean National Assembly handled the anti-North Korean warfare law, the move “created concern.”
“Freedom of expression is the core value of democracy,” said Congressman McCawul. “The US Congress has long supported efforts to provide outside information to North Korea under a closed dictatorship in the US Congress.”
He emphasized that “the bright future of the Korean Peninsula depends on North Korea becoming like South Korea,” and “not the opposite.”
Earlier on that day, the Korean National Assembly passed a revised bill of the Inter-Korean Relations Development Act banning the spread of warfare against North Korea at a plenary session.
The amendment made it possible to imprisonment or fines up to three years in case of violating the agreement between the two Koreas, such as spreading flyers near the military demarcation line or broadcasting loudspeakers to North Korea.
Congressman Chris Smith, co-chair of the Republican Party of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Committee, a bipartisan organization in the US Congress, expressed strong concern on the move by the ruling Democratic Party in South Korea to deal with the law.
Congressman Chris said, “It will be a clear violation of the obligations under the Korean Constitution and the international covenants on civil and political rights.”
In particular, if this law is passed, the US State Department will demand that Korea be “critically reevaluated” in its annual Human Rights Report and International Religious Freedom Report. “We will see Korea on the watch list, which is a very sad move.” I said.
It also said that if the law is passed, it plans to convene a hearing for an investigation into the Korean government.
Congressman Smith said, “There are serious concerns about Korea’s actions under President Moon Jae-in.”
He pointed out that “at the local and national level, we have seen the government use the new coronavirus response as an excuse to reduce religious worship and freedom of expression targeting critics of the president.”
“No government can escape a thorough review,” Smith said. “Even if the target is an old alliance.”
This is VOA News Lee Jo-eun.
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