President Yoon’s Declaration of Retaliation to North Korean Provocations
The Ineffectiveness of North Korea’s “War or Peace” Tactic
Concerns for National Security
On the 16th, President Yoon Suk Yeol declared, “If North Korea provokes, we will retaliate many times over,” adding, “The deceptive peace tactic of threatening ‘war or peace’ no longer works.” This statement was in response to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, labeling South Korea as “Enemy Number One.”
President Yoon, presiding over the Cabinet Meeting at the Presidential Office in Yongsan that morning, stated, “The fake peace achieved by succumbing to threats of provocation only puts our national security at greater risk.”
President Yoon emphasized that the North’s threats to security, such as artillery firing near the Northern Limit Line (NLL), ballistic missile launches, and the denial of NLL, are “political provocations intended to create anxiety among our citizens and divide South Korea,” and that “our citizens and government must stand together to counter the North Korean regime’s deception and propaganda.”
North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un’s Hostile Stance
Previously, North Korea’s Kim had declared a fundamental revision of the South Korean policy, labeling South Korea as an ‘enemy nation’ at the Workers’ Party Plenary Meeting on December 30th last year. He also ordered education that regards South Korea as “the most hostile nation” and “an immutable enemy” after removing expressions such as “independence, peaceful reunification, and national unity” from the constitution in his New Year’s address.
Notably, he has issued orders to demolish the Gyeongui Line, connecting Seoul to Sinuiju, a project that Kim Jong Un’s father, Kim Jong Il, championed. Additionally, he ordered the removal of the Three Charters for National Reunification monument, commemorating Kim Il Sung’s principles for reunification.
This indicates that there will be no future dialogue or exchange between the North and South.
Changes in Inter-Korean Institutions
The Supreme People’s Assembly decided to abolish the National Economic Cooperation Agency, which was in charge of inter-Korean authority and civilian exchange and cooperation, the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland, which led inter-Korean authority talks, and the Mount Kumgang International Tourism Bureau, which was responsible for Hyundai Group’s Mount Kumgang tourism business.
In response, President Yoon criticized, “The North Korean regime has admitted itself as an anti-national and anti-historical group,” and at the same time, urged ‘warm acceptance’ and support for North Korean residents and defectors, who are our citizens under the constitution, saying, “The threat to South Korea is the North Korean regime, not the North Korean residents.”
The Ministry of Unification asserted that their current policy, which aims for reunification without the use of force, remains fundamentally unchanged. They declared a firm response to any attempts by North Korea to disrupt this policy or change the status quo.
International Responses
The U.S. State Department reiterated its stance regarding North Korea’s provocations, expressing disappointment over North Korea’s continued refusal to engage in dialogue and its intensification of hostile remarks against South Korea. The Department emphasized that inter-Korean cooperation is crucial for establishing lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula. Furthermore, it was stated that the U.S. holds no hostile intentions against North Korea.
Some argue that there is no need for our government to take too offensive a stance against North Korea’s provocations. This is because the security crisis on the Korean Peninsula amid growing global uncertainty could negatively affect our economy.
Senior Research Fellow Hong Min from the Unification Research Institute advised paying attention to Chairman Kim’s message that they would not initiate war unless provoked. He assessed that the likelihood of actual war provocation appears low. Additionally, he noted that the U.S. is prioritizing dialogue over provoking North Korea to maintain stability on the Korean Peninsula.
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