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Blue House National Security Advisor Chung Eui-yong responds to reporters’ questions after meeting with Minjoo Party floor leader Woo Won-shik and other party leaders

During a visit to the National Assembly on Aug. 3, Blue House National Security Advisor Chung Eui-yong told Minjoo Party floor leader Woo Won-shik and other party leaders that “There will be no war, and the US thinks the same thing.” In the wake of North Korea’s second test launch of an ICBM (intercontinental ballistic missile), the government’s decision to “temporarily deploy” four more THAAD launchers has provoked controversy, and widespread rumors about an “August crisis on the Korean Peninsula” have even sparked concern in the ruling party. This meeting was designed to forge a consensus on the security situation between the party and the Blue House.

“We’re communicating adequately with the American government, and we’ve confirmed through several channels that the US does not think a war is about to break out either,” Jung told lawmakers who asked whether there could be war on the Korean Peninsula, according to Minjoo Party floor spokesperson Kang Hoon-sik. “I’m in close consultation with National Security Advisor Herbert McMaster, as is Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, and we have the same level of communication with China as well,” Jung was quoted as saying.

In related news, the Blue House also criticized opposition parties for their allegations about “Korea passing,” a term that refers to South Korea being sidelined in discussions of issues on the Korean Peninsula. “Allow me to reiterate that President Moon and US President Donald Trump will be having a phone call before long. It’s fine to criticize, but people ought to avoid nitpicking about sensitive and critical diplomatic issues as if they wanted something to go wrong,” said a high-ranking official from the Blue House during a meeting with reporters.

By Um Ji-won, staff reporter

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