[Editorial] Yoon’s emphasis on “US” after N. Korea missile launch shows lack of realistic alternatives

Posted on : 2022-10-04 18:54 KST Modified on : 2022-10-04 18:54 KST
North Korea has conducted a series of ballistic missile launches in response to ROK-US and ROK-US-Japan joint military exercises and US Vice President Kamala Harris’ visit to South Korea
President Yoon Suk-yeol takes part in a military parade Saturday at a ceremony to mark South Korea’s 74th Armed Forces Day, held at the Gyeryongdae military headquarters in South Chungcheong Province. (Yonhap)
President Yoon Suk-yeol takes part in a military parade Saturday at a ceremony to mark South Korea’s 74th Armed Forces Day, held at the Gyeryongdae military headquarters in South Chungcheong Province. (Yonhap)

North Korea fired another ballistic missile ahead of a ceremony to mark South Korea’s Armed Forces Day on Saturday. It was the fourth such ballistic missile launch in a week.

In a speech delivered that day, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol stressed the importance of a ROK-US “alliance in action,” while many new weapons were featured in a military parade, including the Hyunmoo-4, which has been referred to as a “monster missile.”

Concerns are growing over the administration’s strategy toward North Korea, which amounts to a continued emphasis on the alliance with the US while responding to the North’s provocations with boasts about the South’s strength.

North Korea has conducted a series of ballistic missile launches in response to ROK-US and ROK-US-Japan joint military exercises and US Vice President Kamala Harris’ visit to South Korea.

The North appears to be trying to show its ability to launch nuclear attacks anytime and anywhere. In September, it enacted a nuclear weapons policy permitting the use of preemptive nuclear strikes, and warnings of the imminence of a seventh nuclear test have continued.

In response to the severe security situation, Yoon stated, “If North Korea attempts to use nuclear weapons, it will face an overwhelming response from the ROK-US alliance and our military.”

He also said, “We will further strengthen ROK-US joint exercises to realize an ‘alliance in action’ that strongly responds to provocations and threats.” During the parade, the military shared first-ever launch footage of the Hyunmoo missile, which is known for having the “world’s heaviest warhead.”

Although it is important to beef up national security in response to the North’s nuclear threat, it’s simplistic to believe — as Yoon appears to — that South Korea can resolve things simply by increasing dependence on the US for security.

Since Yoon took office, the government has focused on deterring North Korean nuclear threats through the increased deployment of American strategic weapons via the ROK-US Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group.

But with the US focusing on an “America First” approach, there is no guarantee that it will act in South Korea’s best interest in the employment of nuclear capabilities. In addition, while the US is in a rush to strengthen military cooperation between South Korea, the US, and Japan as a means of countering China, the fact that Japan has not taken any measures to improve its relations with South Korea shows the limitations of Yoon’s foreign policy.

Rather than strengthening South Korea’s position in its relations with the US and Japan, the foreign and security policies of the Yoon administration — which is bent on erasing President Moon Jae-in’s legacy — have instead led to a situation where the country is less able to voice its opinion and ends up being pushed around by the US and Japan.

If South Korea continues to take a hardline policy toward North Korea, this will lead to a vicious cycle in which the North Korean nuclear threat increases, ROK-US extended deterrence grows, and the North ratchets up its provocations in response. That translated in turn into greater tensions on the Korean Peninsula and a heavier arms race burden.

It’s time to think about a strategic roadmap that includes prudent strategies and a military response commensurate with the seriousness of the current situation, without abandoning varied approaches to dialogue and diplomacy.

By Kim Young-bae, senior staff writer

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]

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