hankyoreh

North Korea has been busy the past few days raising military tensions with the South. It’s even more worrisome to see this trend intensifying between South and North at a time after late April’s US-Japan summit and the May 8 China-Russia summit left an even clearer impression of a global antagonism taking shape between Washington/Tokyo and Beijing/Moscow. It’s also troubling to think military tensions may spoil the growing resumption of private inter-Korean exchange since the South Korea-US joint military drills ended on Apr. 24.

On May 8 and 9, Pyongyang sent two separate notices claiming the South’s “infringement of territorial waters” in the West (Yellow) Sea and warning of a targeted strike against South Korean warships. The May 8 notice from the Southwest Front Command, which was addressed to the Blue House Office of National Security and came via the West (Yellow) Sea military communications line, mentioned the possibility of an “unannounced targeted strike” against South Korean warships crossing our maritime demarcation line in the West (Yellow) Sea. Another provocative message sent on May 9 dared the South to “try to oppose us if you have the courage.”

That wasn’t all from North Korea, which also staged a show of missile force. On the afternoon of May 9, it launched three KN-01 anti-ship missiles with an estimated firing range of 100 km over the waters near Wonsan. That same day, the (North) Korean Central News Agency reported a successful submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) test launch with leader Kim Jong-un observing.

The South has answered right back with a similarly hard line. On May 8, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Choi Yoon-hee met with Curtis Scaparrotti, commander of the Combined Forces Command, and reached an agreement to respond forcefully with South Korean and US military strength to any North Korean provocations. Then, on May 9, he held a conference call with major operational commanders and visited the 2nd Fleet Command to deliver orders for “powerful and ruthless retaliation against provocations.” In an unusual move, the Blue House held an emergency national security meeting the same afternoon, with national security adviser Kim Kwan-jin presiding over an analysis of Pyongyang’s aims and a discussion of potential response plans. That‘s how seriously the North Korean provocations are being taken. It makes complete sense for the administration move swiftly and establish a firm response posture against military provocations from the North.

But what both sides - especially North Korea - need to understand is that these military tensions do nothing but harm. This kind of antagonism at a time when the divide is already deepening between our neighbors (the US and Japan on one side and China and Russia on the other) is only going to chip away at South and North’s right to be heard. It will reduce their autonomy and leave their neighbors calling the shots even more than they are now. North Korea is already isolated internationally because of its past nuclear and missile provocations. It needs to know that it has far more to lose than gain from any more.

Seoul, for its part, should do more than just spontaneously react to these military provocation from the North. Instead, it ought to adopt a more generous approach and work within the broader framework of improving inter-Korean relations, which have long been in a state of tension. It should also try to bring North Korea to the table for dialogue by taking full advantage of the meaningful trends recently under way in the civilian sector, including fertilizer aid and joint inter-Korean events on June 14-15 to commemorate the June 15 Joint Declaration of 2000. This is an important moment for making a decision. Will it be dialogue? Or more confrontation?

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