A ruling party lawmaker on Monday called for the swift passage of an anti-terrorism bill he proposed last month to prevent the recurrence of incidents similar to last week’s attack on the top U.S. envoy to Seoul.
Last month, Rep. Lee Byung-suk of the Saenuri Party proposed a bill that calls for punishing those who take part in terrorist acts or organize or join terrorist groups.
Speaking in a press conference at the National Assembly, he claimed the attack on U.S. Ambassador Mark Lippert could not be prevented because there were no legal grounds to keep watch over the assailant, Kim Ki-jong, despite his questionable background.
“In order to stop a terrorist incident, such as the attack on Ambassador Mark Lippert, from happening again, not only the (ruling) party, government and Cheong Wa Dae, but also the ruling and opposition parties should work together,” Lee said. Cheong Wa Dae is the name of South Korea’s presidential office.
Under current laws, the only way to punish terrorist activities is through forced deportations, the lawmaker said, claiming there have been more than 50 incidents in the past five years in which a foreigner has been deported for terrorist acts.
His call comes ahead of a trilateral policy coordination meeting between Cheong Wa Dae, the government and the ruling party.
During the meeting scheduled for Sunday, officials are expected to discuss a wide range of issues, including Lee’s anti-terrorism bill and two other related bills pending in parliament, a key party official said on condition of anonymity. (Yonhap)
