The ruling and opposition parties sparred on the 16th over the United States adding South Korea to its list of 'sensitive countries' where cooperation in advanced technologies such as nuclear power and artificial intelligence (AI) may be restricted. The Democratic Party of Korea characterized this as a 'diplomatic disaster' caused by the incompetence of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration and demanded his swift dismissal. The ruling party, while requesting a full governmental response, objected, stating that it should not be politicized.
Senior Spokesperson Cho Seung-rae held a press conference the following morning at the National Assembly's party leader office in Yeouido, Seoul, and evaluated the U.S. 'sensitive country designation' by stating, 'The South Korea-U.S. alliance has continually evolved, but the sensitive country designation signifies a 'downgrade' in the alliance for the first time.' He noted, 'We perceive this (U.S. designation as sensitive country) as a very serious situation.'
Cho claimed that the U.S. decision resulted from the government's and ruling party's actions. He stated, 'President Yoon and the officials of the government and ruling party have made irresponsible statements regarding nuclear issues, and during the state of emergency, there was no communication or sharing with the U.S. side.' He continued, 'The unfolding crisis in South Korea's politics, economy, diplomacy, and security constitutes a diplomatic disaster caused by the incompetent President Yoon Suk-yeol, the government, and the ruling party.'
He also pointed out the government's complacent response. Cho remarked, 'The government did not recognize this situation, and even when the Special Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade met last week, the government was unaware of the circumstances,' adding, 'The U.S. government learned about it through questions from the media, yet currently, there is not a single institution—whether it be the South Korean government, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Intelligence Service, or the presidential office—that can confidently explain why this situation occurred, how it progressed, and how it will unfold.'
He stated, 'This situation is continuing as a consequence of the 12.3 coup, so the Constitutional Court should not hesitate to remove the incompetent coup leader Yoon Suk-yeol.'
In contrast, the People Power Party viewed the opposition's excessive impeachment as the cause of the weakened diplomatic response.
People Power Party Spokesperson Kwon Dong-wook stated in a commentary that 'Since the designation of South Korea as a sensitive country in January, we have been in a period where Acting President Han Duck-soo has been impeached and suspended from duty, and we cannot absolve ourselves of the responsibility for the part that has undermined the government's diplomatic power and negotiating ability with the U.S. due to the impeachment.'
Regarding the opposition mentioning the background of the sensitive country designation related to nuclear armament within the ruling party, he pointed out that it was a 'premature interpretation,' saying, 'Nuclear armament is not an agenda that can be discussed solely in the context of being designated as a sensitive country.'
He added, 'I hope the Democratic Party refrains from rash judgments and does not use this politically.'
He called for a full governmental response. Spokesperson Kwon stated, 'The government must have a strong sense of alertness regarding the delay in fact-finding. The chaos of the impeachment crisis cannot be an excuse,' urging, 'They must thoroughly inspect and strengthen the South Korea-U.S. communication channels and mobilize all diplomatic efforts to ensure rectification before the transfer on April 15.'