Photo : YONHAP News
Ruling and opposition parties are split in their assessment of President Lee Jae Myung’s state visit to China.
The Ruling Democratic Party (DP) on Thursday said Lee’s efforts to promote economic cooperation between the two countries set the stage for a restoration of ties and progress on bringing peace to the Korean Peninsula.
DP Rep. Kim Young-bae, who also serves as vice chair of the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, called Lee’s visit “a New Year gift set,” and praised him for carrying out “practical diplomacy” to protect the South Korean people and national interests.
On the other hand, the main opposition People Power Party(PPP) criticized the trip for failing to receive concrete answers regarding China’s ban on South Korean cultural content, North Korea’s nuclear weapons and Beijing’s maritime structures in the Yellow Sea.
The PPP argued that Lee was focused more on representing China’s position on the issues and called the visit “humiliating.”
PPP chief Jang Dong-hyuk said if Lee doesn’t have the ability to take advantage of such a trip, he should at least protect national pride.