In the wake of North Korea’s fourth nuclear bomb test, political parties were united in demanding sanctions against Pyongyang, but there was a marked difference between their approaches.

The ruling Saenuri Party took the opportunity to urge the passage of pending bills, such as the terrorism prevention bill and the North Korean human rights bill, which had been held back due to objections from the opposition.

The main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea, while pledging all efforts to restrain military provocations, also pointed out that the government had failed to detect what the North was doing.

“It is crucial that the people should unite in one accord and stand up to the North’s nuclear actions,” said Saenuri Party leader Rep. Kim Moo-sung in the Supreme Council meeting Thursday.

He thus called on the opposition camp to stop political fighting and to fully cooperate in guarding the nation’s security.

“The recent provocation clearly shows why we should effectuate a terrorism prevention bill, as well as the North Korean human rights bill to protest those who suffer under Kim Jong-un’s rule,” Kim Moo-sung said. 

The opposition camp has been holding back these bills, claiming that the former bestowed excessive authority to the nation’s spy agency and that the latter may provoke the North Korean regime.

Minjoo Party floor leader Lee Jong-kul held the government and ruling party responsible for failing to respond preemptively to the North’s provocations.

“The National Intelligence Service was utterly unaware of the North’s nuclear test, and even the NIS chief admitted the failure,” Lee said.

“The ruling conservative camp and President Park Geun-hye stopped humanitarian aid to the North, claiming that they encouraged the regime’s nuclear development, but their decision turned out to be quite wrong.”

The Minjoo Party also submitted an antinuclear resolution and vowed to make all efforts to push the North to abolish its nuclear weapons.

“Our party will cooperate with the government in condemning North Korea’s nuclear bomb testing,” said party spokesperson Park Soo-hyun.

The Assembly‘s Defense Committee held a plenary meeting in the afternoon and unanimously passed a resolution denouncing the North’s test and urging the government‘s responses.

“This resolution aims to demand stern military readiness with enhanced capacity to respond to North Korean missiles and to urge adoption of strong sanctions together with the international community,” said committee chairman Rep. Chung Doo-un.

By Bae Hyun-jung (tellme@heraldcorp.com)