The ruling and opposition parties clashed in the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee over the reduction of this year's Korea-U.S. joint exercise, "Ulji Freedom Shield." The Democratic Party assessed it as a prerequisite for North Korea-U.S. summit talks, but the People Power Party opposed it, citing national security threats. In addition, when Unification Minister Jeong Seong-il proposed replacing terms like "enemy" with "Joseon" when referring to North Korea, a verbal battle ensued between the ruling and opposition parties. Notably, People Power Party lawmaker Park Chung-kwon, a defector from North Korea, demanded Jeong's resignation, calling his actions unconstitutional. After an argument with Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Jun-hwan, he apologized for past remarks chanting "Long live Kim Il-sung." The opposition bloc demanded explanations from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the dismissal of former Trade Negotiation Headquarters Director Yeohan Han.
