[Editorial] Opposition party irresponsible in claims that Moon administration "benefited enemy" with nuclear plant document

People Power Party (PPP) interim leader Kim Chong-in takes part in a Jan. 31 “emergency countermeasures meeting on North Korean nuclear power plant allegations” at the National Assembly. Kim has said that “National Assembly measures will be needed” if the government does not provide the facts. (Yonhap News)

The allegation made by Kim Chong-in, interim leader of South Korea’s People Power Party (PPP), that the Moon administration sought to build a nuclear reactor in North Korea has become a political black hole that’s drawing attention away from all other issues.

“The Moon administration sought to build a nuclear reactor in North Korea in complete secrecy. That’s a shocking act that benefits the enemy,” Kim said on Jan. 29. In support of his claim, Kim cited charges filed by Korea’s public prosecutors in a case related to the doctoring and illegal destruction of official documents about the economic viability of the Wolsong nuclear reactor.

In the following days, the PPP has launched a steady stream of attacks on South Korean President Moon Jae-in. On Jan. 31, Kim pressed the government to explain why the project had been carried out in secret, while PPP floor leader Joo Ho-young called for a special prosecutor and a parliamentary probe. Former lawmaker Na Kyung-won and former Seoul mayor Oh Se-hoon sought to whip up political controversy by labeling the incident as an attempt to “bribe” North Korea with a nuclear plant.

It’s perfectly reasonable for the opposition party to grill the government over its policy. But it’s highly irresponsible to conclude from suspicions and circumstantial evidence that the government has “benefited the enemy” or to incite ideological divisions that can be exploited for political gain.

More specifically, Kim, as head of Korea’s major opposition party, isn’t convincing anyone with his repeated claims that “it’s unbelievable that a public servant would have reviewed something so explosive of their own volition” or that “the administration sought to build a nuclear reactor as a reward for North Korea.”

In a statement, the PPP’s foreign affairs and national security special committee said, “The documents indicated in the charges included a ‘plan for pursuing the construction of a nuclear power plant in North Korea.’ Even the name of the file alone is enough to raise questions about whether this was concretely considered at the government level.” Yet it failed to provide any objective evidence to back this up.

A responsible opposition party that cares about the national interest would be more objective about checking the facts first and offering reasonable grounds for allegations related to sensitive topics like inter-Korean relations.

The Blue House administration also needs to step up in dispelling suspicions. It has to state the facts clearly to disprove the false claims. Simply condemning the opposition’s offensive as a “Red-baiting operation” is not an effective approach to nipping this conflict in the bud.

Fortunately, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE), whose deletion of data caused this whole kerfuffle in the first place, came out with a clarification on Jan. 31. “The document was six pages long and specified in its introduction that it was ‘information for internal consideration’ that ‘does not represent the government’s official position,’” it explained, adding that it “lists various possibilities as ‘ideas,’ including one that involves building nuclear power plants either in North Korea or South Korea for providing electricity to the North.”

We need to see more proactive information disclosure so that this unnecessary conflict can be swiftly put to bed. Things are difficult enough right now with the COVID-19 pandemic. Politicians should refrain from fanning confusion and division without a clear basis in fact.

Please direct comments or questions to [english@hani.co.kr]