hankyoreh

The US-ROK joint military exercises Key Resolve begin today, on Mar. 11. On Mar. 5, North Korea declared that, if the Key Resolve exercises were to go ahead, it would completely nullify the Korean War armistice agreement. It therefore appears that this week will be one of the more crucial moments in the history of inter-Korean tensions. At a time like this, it is imperative that the South Korean government responds firmly to North Korean provocations while also keeping its cool to prevent the situation from deteriorating.

Of course, North Korea is primarily responsible for the fact that tensions between the two countries are so high. In February, Pyongyang pushed ahead with its third nuclear test despite considerable opposition from the international community, and when the UN showed its disapproval by adopting additional sanctions, Pyongyang raised the tenor of its saber-rattling, threatening a second war on the Korean peninsula and a preemptive nuclear strike on the “aggressors’ stronghold”. On Mar. 10, one day before the Key Resolve exercises, North Korea’s state newspaper the Rodong Shinmun said, “The hideouts of the US and its South Korean lackeys, who have forced all kinds of misfortune and agony on the Korean people, will be instantly turned into a sea of fire.”

There is no semblance of proportion in North Korea’s response to the Key Resolve exercises, which continue through Mar. 21. Not only do the US and Korea hold these joint training maneuvers each year, but they had already told North Korean military officials at Panmunjeom about the plans on Feb. 21. For the North to use Key Resolve as a pretense for threatening to nullify the armistice agreement despite these considerations can be nothing other than a deliberate attempt by the North to raise tensions on the peninsula. Of course, it does not appear very likely that such threats will lead directly to military action. However, considering that the tenor of the statements is much higher than before, we cannot set our minds at ease.

It is only natural for the South Korean government to respond to this by strengthening its military readiness even more to keep North Korea from making any stupid moves. Nevertheless, we must think carefully about whether North Korea’s bullying rhetoric is sufficient reason for us to further aggravate the other side using extreme rhetoric. We are fully capable of responding to North Korean threats with mature language without employing provocative phrases such as “Kim Jong-un’s regime will perish from the earth.” If we respond to North Korea’s outlandish threats and bluster by stooping to the same level, we may briefly enjoy the feeling of having vented our frustration, but it will do little to help us find a resolution to the situation.

Furthermore, the task that demands the South Korean government’s attention is stabilizing the situation so that an armed clash does not take place between North and South. In a situation that is as delicate as the present, even a minor military incident could quickly spiral out of control. This would be a disaster for both the North and the South. Whatever happens, we must make sure that such an incident does not occur. Along with this, we must look for a way to fundamentally ease tensions on the Korean peninsula. This is because unilateral sanctions against North Korea will never be enough to bring peace to the Korean peninsula.

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