President Moon Jae-in, second from right, holds a meeting with former unification ministers and foreign affairs experts at Cheong Wa Dae, Wednesday. At right, former unification minister and former chief of the National Intelligence Service Lim Dong-won listens as Moon speaks. A key architect of former President Kim Dae-jung's (DJ) Sunshine Policy of engagement with North Korea, Lim prepared for the first inter-Korean summit in Pyongyang in June 2000 with former President Kim. Lim and the DJ are known to have prepared for the June 15 Declaration, which marked its 20th anniversary this week, on the basis of the spirit of the Romans 12:17~21. The famous verses from the New Testament encourages people to live in peace with everyone and not repay anyone "evil for evil," but rather "overcome evil with good."/Yonhap

By Do Je-hae

Public outcry is rising over Cheong Wa Dae and the government's assessment of circumstances surrounding Pyongyang's hostile acts, the latest of which was demolition of an inter-Korean liaison office in Gaeseong on Tuesday.

Calls are also increasing for the replacement of President Moon Jae-in's national security team in the wake of the destruction of the symbolic building for inter-Korean cooperation.

Cheong Wa Dae had trumpeted the office as one of the key outcomes of the April 27 Panmunjeom Declaration in 2018, signed by Moon and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during their first summit on the South's side of the Joint Security Area (JSA). The latest act is virtually seen as the North's attempt to scrap the declaration.

Many South Koreans are baffled at the government and Cheong Wa Dae's activities just before the destruction of the building ― which implied they failed to detect any unusual signs involving the office.

A senior presidential official was giving a briefing at Cheong Wa Dae on Tuesday that had started around 2:20 p.m. and lasted about 25 minutes. Despite rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula, the senior aide made surprising remarks that seemed to insinuate hopes for further talks with North Korea, including a possible resumption of summit diplomacy between the leaders of the two Koreas. "Of course, our proposal for a fourth summit is still valid," the aide said at the briefing.

Around the time the briefing ended, Pyongyang blew up the office ― at 2:49 p.m.

What is considered even more problematic is national security adviser Chung Eui-yong's whereabouts. He was participating in a ceremony for five new Korean ambassadors at Cheong Wa Dae that started at 3 p.m. with President Moon.

National security adviser Chung Eui-yong, left, and President Moon Jae-in arrives at a ceremony for new Korean ambassadors at Cheong Wa Dae, Tuesday. Yonhap

Cheong Wa Dae held a National Security Council (NSC) meeting presided over by Chung about two hours after the explosion. But given the gravity of the situation, some experts said the President should have presided. Another NSC meeting was held Wednesday morning, but the President did not participate in this one either, according to the presidential office.

Criticism of Moon's national security and diplomatic teams is increasing because of their failure to prevent inter-Korean ties from dropping to their worst level since the beginning of the current administration.