Parties urge gov't to beef up security after murder of NK leader's half brother

Published : Feb 15, 2017 - 09:11 Updated : Feb 15, 2017 - 09:11

South Korean parties on Wednesday expressed concerns over the apparent assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's half brother, urging the government to keep vigilant on possible provocations by the North.

Sources said Kim Jong-nam, the 45-year-old eldest son of late North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, was killed after being poisoned in Malaysia on Monday.

This undated file photo shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's half brother Kim Jong-nam. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

"The event explicitly showed the tragic reality of Kim Jong-un's reign of terror," said Rep. Kim Myung-yeon, a spokesman of the ruling Liberty Korea Party. "It has increased the possibility that Kim will seek abrupt provocations against South Korea and the international community to maintain his regime."

The ruling party said South Korea's government and military should take a closer look at Pyongyang and bolster security measures while working closely together with other countries to better cope with possible provocations.

Rep. Oh Shin-hwan, a spokesman of the conservative Bareun Party, echoed the view, claiming the government should pay closer attention to the case and its impact on South Korea's security.

Parties also insisted the case should not have an adverse impact on the geopolitical situation surrounding the Korean Peninsula.

"The government should quickly and calmly cope with the situation so that it does not negatively impact inter-Korean relations," Rep. Youn Kwan-suk of the main opposition Democratic Party said.

The minor People's Party also said the incident should not lead to tension in Northeast Asia, urging the government to cooperate with Malaysia to find out details. (Yonhap)