[ad_1]
In the US Congress, voices continue to express strong concerns about the Republic of Korea’s National Assembly’s handling of the war law against North Korea. It is noted that freedom of expression is the central value of democracy. Reporter Lee Jo-eun reports.
The Republican secretary of the House Foreign Relations Committee, Michael McCawul, said in a statement to the VOA on the 14th that the National Assembly of South Korea handled the law of war against North Korea, the measure “generated concern “.
“Freedom of expression is the core value of democracy,” said Congressman McCawul. “The United States Congress has long supported efforts to provide external information to North Korea under a closed dictatorship in the United States Congress.”
He stressed that “the bright future of the Korean peninsula depends on North Korea becoming like South Korea” and “not the other way around.”
On the same day, the Korean National Assembly passed a revised Inter-Korean Relations Development Act bill prohibiting the spread of the war against North Korea in a plenary session.
The amendment made it possible to impose up to three years in prison or fines for violations of the agreement, such as posting flyers near the military demarcation line or broadcasting over loudspeakers to North Korea.
Congressman Chris Smith, co-chair of the Republican Party of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Committee, a bipartisan organization in the United States Congress, expressed grave concern over the move by the ruling Democratic Party in South Korea to address the law.
Congressman Chris said, “It will be a clear violation of obligations under the Korean Constitution and international covenants on civil and political rights.”
In particular, if this law is passed, the US State Department will require that Korea be “critically reassessed” in its Annual Human Rights Report and in its International Religious Freedom Report. “We will see Korea on the watch list, which is a very sad step.” Said.
He also said that if the law is passed, he plans to hold a hearing for an investigation into the Korean government.
Congressman Smith said: “There are serious concerns about Korea’s actions under President Moon Jae-in.”
He noted that “locally and nationally, we have seen the government use the response to the new coronavirus as an excuse to reduce religious worship and freedom of expression directed at the president’s critics.
“No government can escape a thorough review,” Smith said, “even if the target is an old alliance.”
This is the VOA News Lee Jo-eun.
[ad_2]
