{"id":3013,"date":"2023-01-11T14:51:20","date_gmt":"2023-01-11T14:51:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/londonpost.news\/?p=3013"},"modified":"2023-03-23T18:53:31","modified_gmt":"2023-03-23T18:53:31","slug":"korean-leader-predicts-norths-serious-threat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/diplomatic-world\/korean-leader-predicts-norths-serious-threat\/2023\/01\/11\/admin1\/","title":{"rendered":"Korean leader predicts North’s serious threat"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/span>SEOUL,<\/span> South<\/span> Korea<\/span> (AP)<\/span> \u2014<\/span> North<\/span> Korea’s<\/span> spike<\/span> in<\/span> missile<\/span> tests,<\/span> growing<\/span> nuclear<\/span> ambitions<\/span> and<\/span> other<\/span> provocative<\/span> acts<\/span> pose<\/span> a<\/span> \u201cserious<\/span> threat\u201d<\/span> that<\/span> could<\/span> lead<\/span> to<\/span> a<\/span> dangerous<\/span> miscalculation<\/span> and<\/span> spark<\/span> a<\/span> wider<\/span> conflict,<\/span> South<\/span> Korean<\/span> President<\/span> Yoon<\/span> Suk<\/span> Yeol<\/span> said<\/span> Tuesday.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Speaking<\/span> with<\/span> The<\/span> Associated<\/span> Press<\/span> at<\/span> the<\/span> presidential<\/span> office<\/span> in<\/span> Seoul,<\/span> the<\/span> conservative<\/span> leader<\/span> reiterated<\/span> his<\/span> call<\/span> for<\/span> closer<\/span> security<\/span> cooperation<\/span> with<\/span> the<\/span> United<\/span> States<\/span> and<\/span> Japan<\/span> to<\/span> counter<\/span> the<\/span> \u201cdangerous<\/span> situation\u201d<\/span> being<\/span> created<\/span> by<\/span> North<\/span> Korea<\/span> as<\/span> he<\/span> played<\/span> down<\/span> the<\/span> prospect<\/span> for<\/span> direct<\/span> negotiations<\/span> like<\/span> those<\/span> pursued<\/span> by<\/span> his<\/span> liberal<\/span> predecessor.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>That<\/span> incursion<\/span> prompted<\/span> the<\/span> South<\/span> to<\/span> fire<\/span> warning<\/span> shots,<\/span> scramble<\/span> jets<\/span> and<\/span> fly<\/span> its<\/span> own<\/span> drones<\/span> over<\/span> the<\/span> border.<\/span> A<\/span> few<\/span> days<\/span> later,<\/span> North<\/span> Korean<\/span> leader<\/span> Kim<\/span> Jong<\/span> Un<\/span> ushered<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> new<\/span> year<\/span> by<\/span> ordering<\/span> a<\/span> “exponential”<\/span> expansion<\/span> of<\/span> its<\/span> nuclear<\/span> arsenal<\/span> and<\/span> the<\/span> development<\/span> of<\/span> a<\/span> more<\/span> powerful<\/span> intercontinental<\/span> ballistic<\/span> missile.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Some<\/span> experts<\/span> say<\/span> the<\/span> move<\/span> is<\/span> largely<\/span> aimed<\/span> at<\/span> modernizing<\/span> the<\/span> weapons<\/span> North<\/span> Korea<\/span> ultimately<\/span> hopes<\/span> to<\/span> leverage<\/span> in<\/span> future<\/span> deals<\/span> with<\/span> the<\/span> United<\/span> States<\/span> to<\/span> force<\/span> sanctions<\/span> relief<\/span> and<\/span> other<\/span> concessions.<\/span> I<\/span> believe<\/span> it<\/span> is<\/span> primarily<\/span> intended<\/span> for<\/span> test<\/span> execution.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>“North<\/span> Korea<\/span> may<\/span> have<\/span> its<\/span> own<\/span> internal<\/span> reasons,<\/span> but<\/span> neither<\/span> our<\/span> country<\/span> nor<\/span> any<\/span> other<\/span> country<\/span> can<\/span> know<\/span> exactly<\/span> why<\/span> they<\/span> are<\/span> engaging<\/span> in<\/span> such<\/span> provocations.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>“These<\/span> illegal<\/span> North<\/span> Korean<\/span> provocations<\/span> will<\/span> only<\/span> lead<\/span> to<\/span> an<\/span> enhancement<\/span> of<\/span> (South<\/span> Korea’s)<\/span> security<\/span> response<\/span> capabilities<\/span> and<\/span> further<\/span> enhancement<\/span> of<\/span> security<\/span> cooperation<\/span> between<\/span> South<\/span> Korea,<\/span> the<\/span> United<\/span> States<\/span> and<\/span> Japan,”<\/span> he<\/span> said.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Former<\/span> Prosecutor<\/span> General<\/span> Yoon<\/span> took<\/span> office<\/span> in<\/span> May<\/span> and<\/span> vowed<\/span> to<\/span> take<\/span> a<\/span> tougher<\/span> stance<\/span> against<\/span> North<\/span> Korea.<\/span> During<\/span> his<\/span> presidential<\/span> campaign,<\/span> he<\/span> accused<\/span> his<\/span> liberal<\/span> predecessor,<\/span> Moon<\/span> Jae-in,<\/span> of<\/span> “submitting”<\/span> to<\/span> North<\/span> Korea.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Moon,<\/span> who<\/span> met<\/span> with<\/span> Kim<\/span> Jong-un<\/span> three<\/span> times,<\/span> is<\/span> credited<\/span> with<\/span> coordinating<\/span> the<\/span> now-dormant<\/span> nuclear<\/span> diplomacy<\/span> between<\/span> Pyongyang<\/span> and<\/span> Washington<\/span> and<\/span> alleviating<\/span> the<\/span> horrors<\/span> of<\/span> war.<\/span> In<\/span> particular,<\/span> it<\/span> has<\/span> provoked<\/span> criticism<\/span> that<\/span> it<\/span> helped<\/span> Kim<\/span> Jong-un<\/span> perfect<\/span> his<\/span> weapons<\/span> technology,<\/span> buying<\/span> him<\/span> time<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> face<\/span> of<\/span> UN<\/span> sanctions.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>In<\/span> a<\/span> recent<\/span> newspaper<\/span> interview,<\/span> Yoon<\/span> referred<\/span> to<\/span> talks<\/span> with<\/span> the<\/span> United<\/span> States<\/span> about<\/span> joint<\/span> plans<\/span> that<\/span> could<\/span> affect<\/span> US<\/span> nuclear<\/span> facilities.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>“There<\/span> are<\/span> ongoing<\/span> discussions<\/span> about<\/span> so-called<\/span> joint<\/span> planning<\/span> and<\/span> joint<\/span> execution,<\/span> and<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> face<\/span> of<\/span> North<\/span> Korea’s<\/span> nuclear<\/span> threat,<\/span> I<\/span> think<\/span> it<\/span> is<\/span> right<\/span> for<\/span> South<\/span> Korea<\/span> and<\/span> the<\/span> United<\/span> States<\/span> to<\/span> work<\/span> together,”<\/span> Yoon<\/span> said.<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf<\/span> the<\/span> dispute<\/span> (in<\/span> Ukraine)<\/span> is<\/span> not<\/span> quickly<\/span> resolved,<\/span> the<\/span> international<\/span> community<\/span> may<\/span> send<\/span> a<\/span> message<\/span> to<\/span> North<\/span> Korea<\/span> that<\/span> it<\/span> will<\/span> not<\/span> respond<\/span> to<\/span> its<\/span> acts<\/span> of<\/span> aggression<\/span> with<\/span> appropriate<\/span> sanctions<\/span> and<\/span> penalties,<\/span> and<\/span> that<\/span> message<\/span> will<\/span> be<\/span> sent<\/span> to<\/span> North<\/span> Korea<\/span> At<\/span> home,<\/span> Yoon<\/span> appeared<\/span> still<\/span> reeling<\/span> from<\/span> the<\/span> crowd<\/span> tragedy<\/span> that<\/span> caused<\/span> a<\/span> Halloween<\/span> ruckus<\/span> of<\/span> nearly<\/span> 160<\/span> people<\/span> in<\/span> Seoul’s<\/span> Itaewon<\/span> district<\/span> in<\/span> late<\/span> October.<\/span> He<\/span> said<\/span> he<\/span> rushed<\/span> to<\/span> his<\/span> office,<\/span> not<\/span> far<\/span> from<\/span> the<\/span> neighborhood,<\/span> shortly<\/span> after<\/span> the<\/span> incident,<\/span> saying<\/span> that<\/span> at<\/span> first<\/span> he<\/span> had<\/span> no<\/span> idea<\/span> how<\/span> many<\/span> people<\/span> had<\/span> been<\/span> killed,<\/span> but<\/span> later<\/span> realized<\/span> the<\/span> scale<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> disaster.<\/span> “It<\/span> is<\/span> still<\/span> difficult<\/span> to<\/span> understand<\/span> how<\/span> such<\/span> mass<\/span> casualties<\/span> can<\/span> occur<\/span> due<\/span> to<\/span> crowd<\/span> control<\/span> failures<\/span> in<\/span> a<\/span> country<\/span> with<\/span> a<\/span> (developed)<\/span> system<\/span> like<\/span> ours.”<\/span> difficult.<\/span><\/p>\n

Authorities<\/span> have<\/span> ordered<\/span> a<\/span> full<\/span> investigation,<\/span> but<\/span> despite<\/span> calls<\/span> for<\/span> more<\/span> accountability<\/span> from<\/span> the<\/span> families<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> victims<\/span> and<\/span> members<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> opposition,<\/span> no<\/span> senior<\/span> officials<\/span> have<\/span> yet<\/span> lost<\/span> their<\/span> jobs.<\/span> He<\/span> said<\/span> it<\/span> was<\/span> important<\/span> to<\/span> conduct<\/span> a<\/span> thorough<\/span> investigation<\/span> before<\/span> seeking<\/span> responsibility.<\/span> Mr.<\/span> Yoon<\/span> said,<\/span> “For<\/span> the<\/span> victims<\/span> and<\/span> their<\/span> families,<\/span> the<\/span> results<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> investigation<\/span> may<\/span> be<\/span> the<\/span> basis<\/span> for<\/span> judging<\/span> the<\/span> government’s<\/span> responsibility,<\/span> so<\/span> it<\/span> is<\/span> important<\/span> to<\/span> thoroughly<\/span> investigate<\/span> the<\/span> government’s<\/span> responsibility,<\/span> even<\/span> if<\/span> it<\/span> means<\/span> bearing<\/span> a<\/span> lot<\/span> of<\/span> responsibility.<\/span> I<\/span> have<\/span> instructed<\/span> (the<\/span> officials)<\/span> to<\/span> do<\/span> so,”<\/span> he<\/span> said.<\/span><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) \u2014 North Korea’s spike in missile tests, growing nuclear ambitions and other provocative acts pose a \u201cserious threat\u201d 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 […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3014,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":""},"categories":[24,26,276,2428,2482],"tags":[104,150,546,547,549],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/korethrt.webp","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3013"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3013"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3013\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3016,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3013\/revisions\/3016"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3014"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3013"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3013"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3013"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}