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Chung Mong-joon, leader of National Alliance 21 expressed his opinion about the recent anti-American protests via party spokeswoman Kim Haeng, Tuesday, stating it was inadvisable for presidential candidates to exploit them in order to gain votersĄŻ popularity. He cautioned the political circle and people of to regard this issue very carefully and logically.
The NA 21's Policy Committee head, Chun Sung-chul also released a public statement warning that protests would harm the future development of Korea-US relations if Washington suspected Seoul of neglecting and ignoring the anti-American movement. Chun said the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Choi Sung-hong should be held responsible for his failure of Korea-US diplomacy, which caused the expansion of anti-American sentiment.
The committee head also emphasized the public statement had been revised by Chung Mong-joon himself and said, "Asking responsibility means the resignation of the minister." Chun added that though SOFA revision was necessary, party members were worried about the current situation where anti-American issues were consuming the upcoming presidential election. He said the party would also request a revision of related regulations in order to retain the right to an open a trial in a Korean court of US soldiers' criminal cases, as in Japan.
(Cho Hui-cheon, hccho@chosun.com )
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