Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, criticized the recent designation of South Korea as a “sensitive country” by the U.S. Department of Energy, calling it a “complete diplomatic disaster and a failure of the government.” He argued that overcoming this crisis requires swiftly restoring South Korea’s status as a normal country.
During a Supreme Council meeting at the National Assembly, Lee expressed concerns that the sensitive designation would clearly limit cooperation between South Korea and the U.S. in advanced technology fields such as artificial intelligence, nuclear energy, and others. He attributed this designation to President Yoon Seok-yeol’s discussions of martial law and nuclear armament.
Lee criticized the rhetoric surrounding nuclear armament as unrealistic and provocative, emphasizing that actual nuclear armament would require breaking the nuclear agreement with the U.S., withdrawing from the International Atomic Energy Agency, and facing international economic sanctions, potentially isolating South Korea akin to North Korea. He questioned whether the people of South Korea are willing to destroy the alliance with the U.S. and withdraw from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) to pursue nuclear armament and face such isolation.
He urged the government to rectify the situation, criticizing it for not being aware of or confirming the sensitive country designation. He insisted on the need to demonstrate the strength of democracy and solidify trust in the South Korea-U.S. alliance, urging the government to fully understand the designation’s circumstances and work quickly to have it lifted.
Regarding pension reform negotiations, Lee accused the ruling party of making excuses despite the Democratic Party’s concession to raise the income replacement rate to 43%. He criticized the ruling party for constantly presenting new conditions, likening their governance to child’s play.
Lee also touched on the stalled discussions on the supplementary budget, pointing out that delays are the source of all risks. He warned that postponing actions on the supplementary budget and pension reform would only exacerbate the public’s suffering.