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Wordplay sparks shouting in committee
A South Korean parliamentary debate over what to call people who have fled North Korea descended into a shouting match after People Power Party lawmaker Park Chung-kwon used a mocking nickname for Unification Minister Chung Dong-young.
During a Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee meeting on the 12th, Park addressed Chung as “North Dong-young,” attaching the Korean word for north to the minister’s name. Democratic Party lawmaker Lee Ki-heon responded by asking whether Park could then be called “Defector Chung-kwon,” a play on the term used for escaping North Korea. Other Democratic Party lawmakers shouted for Park to apologize, while Park fired similar “North” nicknames at Democratic Party lawmakers Chung Chung-rae and Kim Young-ho.
The exchange came as the committee considered legislation introduced by Rebuilding Korea Party lawmaker Kim Jae-won that would replace South Korea’s official term for North Korean defectors with “bukhyangmin,” a proposed label referring to people from the North. The Unification Ministry, which manages inter-Korean affairs and policies affecting North Korean arrivals, has also pursued the change.
Park objects to proposed terminology
Park, who fled North Korea and settled in South Korea, opposed placing the bill on the committee’s agenda. He asked Chung why the current terminology should be replaced and why he should be called by a label he did not choose.
“Forcing something on the people involved when they do not want it is state violence and an insult,” Park said.
Committee chair Song Seok-jun, also of the People Power Party, tried to calm the confrontation. Chung demanded an apology, saying basic courtesy was necessary for the committee to function. He said he had never encountered such conduct in 30 years of parliamentary life and threatened not to answer Park’s questions unless the lawmaker withdrew the remark and apologized.
Democratic Party lawmaker Maeng Sung-kyu said lawmakers had agreed to gather opinions before deciding which term to use and asked members to respect that process until a legislative subcommittee reached a conclusion. People Power Party lawmaker Kim Dae-sik urged Park to express regret so the meeting could continue, while also criticizing the Unification Ministry for pursuing the terminology change unilaterally. Park later expressed regret for calling Chung “North Dong-young.”
A former North Korean scientist in parliament
Park was born Jan. 14, 1986, and left North Korea in 2009. He studied chemical engineering at Kim Jong Un National Defense University in North Korea and later earned a doctorate in materials engineering from Seoul National University.
He entered the National Assembly in May 2024 after winning a proportional representation seat in the April 10 election through the People Future Party, which is now part of the People Power Party. He became chair of the party’s digital committee in October 2025 and, beginning in July 2026, served as its chief spokesperson and a member of the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee.
As chief spokesperson, Park has commented on several internal party disputes and criticized Democratic Party lawmaker Choi Min-hee for describing reporters as a “pack of hyenas,” saying the remark compared journalists covering the news to animals and calling on the party to take action.
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