SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea’s spike in missile tests, growing nuclear ambitions and other provocative acts pose a “serious threat” that could lead to a dangerous miscalculation and spark a wider conflict, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said Tuesday.
Speaking with The Associated Press at the presidential office in Seoul, the conservative leader reiterated his call for closer security cooperation with the United States and Japan to counter the “dangerous situation” being created by North Korea as he played down the prospect for direct negotiations like those pursued by his liberal predecessor.
That incursion prompted the South to fire warning shots, scramble jets and fly its own drones over the border. A few days later, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ushered in the new year by ordering a “exponential” expansion of its nuclear arsenal and the development of a more powerful intercontinental ballistic missile.
Some experts say the move is largely aimed at modernizing the weapons North Korea ultimately hopes to leverage in future deals with the United States to force sanctions relief and other concessions. I believe it is primarily intended for test execution.
“North Korea may have its own internal reasons, but neither our country nor any other country can know exactly why they are engaging in such provocations.
“These illegal North Korean provocations will only lead to an enhancement of (South Korea’s) security response capabilities and further enhancement of security cooperation between South Korea, the United States and Japan,” he said.
Former Prosecutor General Yoon took office in May and vowed to take a tougher stance against North Korea. During his presidential campaign, he accused his liberal predecessor, Moon Jae-in, of “submitting” to North Korea.
Moon, who met with Kim Jong-un three times, is credited with coordinating the now-dormant nuclear diplomacy between Pyongyang and Washington and alleviating the horrors of war. In particular, it has provoked criticism that it helped Kim Jong-un perfect his weapons technology, buying him time in the face of UN sanctions.
In a recent newspaper interview, Yoon referred to talks with the United States about joint plans that could affect US nuclear facilities.
“There are ongoing discussions about so-called joint planning and joint execution, and in the face of North Korea’s nuclear threat, I think it is right for South Korea and the United States to work together,” Yoon said.
“If the dispute (in Ukraine) is not quickly resolved, the international community may send a message to North Korea that it will not respond to its acts of aggression with appropriate sanctions and penalties, and that message will be sent to North Korea At home, Yoon appeared still reeling from the crowd tragedy that caused a Halloween ruckus of nearly 160 people in Seoul’s Itaewon district in late October. He said he rushed to his office, not far from the neighborhood, shortly after the incident, saying that at first he had no idea how many people had been killed, but later realized the scale of the disaster. “It is still difficult to understand how such mass casualties can occur due to crowd control failures in a country with a (developed) system like ours.” difficult.
Authorities have ordered a full investigation, but despite calls for more accountability from the families of the victims and members of the opposition, no senior officials have yet lost their jobs. He said it was important to conduct a thorough investigation before seeking responsibility. Mr. Yoon said, “For the victims and their families, the results of the investigation may be the basis for judging the government’s responsibility, so it is important to thoroughly investigate the government’s responsibility, even if it means bearing a lot of responsibility. I have instructed (the officials) to do so,” he said.
