The opposition People Power Party criticized President Lee Jae Myung for saying North Korea worries about a possible invasion from the South, accusing him of echoing Pyongyang’s narrative.

Chief party spokesperson Park Sung-hoon said Friday that the remark had raised doubts about whether Lee was fit to act as South Korea’s president, arguing that it downplayed the North’s history of aggression.

Lawmaker Park Choong-kwon, a North Korean defector, said it was alarming for the commander-in-chief to appear to represent the North’s position rather than the South’s.

Other PPP lawmakers, including Joo Jin-woo and Cho Jung-hun, also condemned the comment on social media, calling it inappropriate and irresponsible for a sitting president.

The criticism followed Lee’s reference to North Korea’s security concerns, which conservatives said distorted the reality of inter-Korean military tensions.

The party also objected to Lee’s suggestion of easing public access restrictions on North Korean state media, warning that such material could pose security risks.