Accra:Seoul The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) has criticized the Lee Jae Myung government's decision to withdraw additional diplomatic personnel from Ukraine, labeling the move as an "emotional response." This decision follows the foreign ministry's announcement to recall its ambassador to Ukraine amid a dispute involving the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) to South Korea.
According to Yonhap News Agency, PPP floor leader Jeong Jeom-sig expressed confusion over the withdrawal decision, suggesting it implies a shift in foreign policy alignment towards North Korea, China, and Russia, away from the United States and other partner nations. Jeong further questioned the government's rationale that the withdrawal was due to the threat of air strikes, citing the prolonged nature of the war in Ukraine as a point of contention.
Jeong urged the Lee government to take decisive actions, such as dismissing Unification Minister Chung Dong-young and Lee Jong-seok, director of the National Intelligence Service, to demonstrate that its foreign policy remains independent of North Korea, China, and Russia. Other PPP lawmakers, including Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun and Rep. Na Kyung-won, joined in the criticism, describing the government's decision as "diplomatic self-sabotage."