hankyoreh

on Mar. 31

On Mar. 31, North Korean forces located around the Northern Limit Line (NLL) in the West Sea fired several hundred rounds of shells to the south, some of which fell in South Korean waters. The previous day, on Mar. 30, North Korea’s foreign ministry issued a statement hinting that it might carry out a new kind of nuclear test in order to strengthen its “nuclear deterrence.” We urge North Korea to stop engaging in behavior that increases tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

The North Korean shelling appears to be intended both as retaliation to the US-Korea joint military exercises and UN pressure, as well as an assertion of its claims to the waters around the NLL.

From the end of February - around the time that the joint exercises began - until the present, the North had fired around 90 short- and mid-range missiles and rockets into the East Sea.

Over the course of the Foal Eagle exercises, North Korea’s attitude has gradually become more bellicose. In particular, its remarks about the possibility of a new nuclear test cannot be taken lightly. While North Korea criticized the UN Security Council’s unfair resolution about launching missiles and stated that it would conduct more drills in response to provocations by the US, its remarks about possibly carrying out a fourth nuclear test can be seen as nothing other than a threat.

To be sure, there are also issues with the attitude of the South Korean government. The South Korean military reported on Mar. 31 that the number of shots it had fired into North Korean waters exceeded the number of North Korean shells that had fallen into the waters south of the NLL. While the government has called this a just response, it is not advisable since it increases the likelihood of an accidental skirmish breaking out.

In addition, the South Korean announced that that ROK and US forces were conducting the largest scale joint amphibious landing drill in 21 years around Pohang in North Gyeongsang Province through Apr. 7 and released images of the drill. While the government had initially promised to maintain a low-key attitude and to refrain from publicizing the military exercise, it has done an about-face and is now using them as a show of force against North Korea.

It should have been easy to predict an increase in tensions on the Korean Peninsula during the military drills between the US and South Korea, and the South Korean government ought to have made preparations for this. If the plans to hold high-level meetings that were made just before the divided family reunions in mid-February had been kept, the situation would be different today.

South Korea’s efforts to resolve the issue of North Korea’s nuclear weapons also leave much to be desired. It must be presumed that Pyongyang’s threats to carry out a nuclear test are motivated by the desire to put pressure on the US, which has not been enthusiastic about restarting the six-party talks. South Korea should be a mediator in the situation, while working for a resumption of the talks.

Tensions on the Korean peninsula must not be allowed to increase any further. First of all, the countries connected with North and South Korea must refrain from any behavior that can provoke their counterparts. Most of all, North Korea needs to grow out of its old habit of breeding conflict to remind the world of its existence.

Resuming talks is of paramount importance. The sooner that high-level talks can be held between North and South Korea, the better. The six-party talks are not something that we should be dawdling about. While we wait for North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons, the North keeps upgrading its nuclear ability.

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