hankyoreh

South Korea and the US fired eight ATACMS, tactical short-range surface-to-surface missiles, on June 6 in response to North Korea’s eight short-range ballistic missiles. (provided by the Joint Chiefs of Staff)

One day after North Korea fired eight missiles, South Korea and the US fired eight of their own, with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol stating that he will “firmly and strictly respond to any provocation by North Korea.”

With South and North Korea locked in a military tit for tat, it’s becoming much more likely that the Korean Peninsula will reach a standoff reminiscent of the head-butting that took place in the region in 2017.

The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff announced on Monday that “South Korea and the US fired eight missiles using ATACMS, an army tactical surface-to-surface missile system, toward the East Sea at around 4:45 am for roughly 10 minutes in response to North Korea’s short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) launches the previous day.” Launched from a coastal location in Gangwon Province, the missiles reportedly included seven fired by South Korea and one by the US.

While attending a ceremony marking South Korea’s 67th annual Memorial Day held at Seoul National Cemetery, Yoon stated, “[North Korea] fired multiple types of ballistic missiles again yesterday. North Korea’s nuclear and missile [program] is reaching a level that threatens peace in Northeast Asia as well as the world.”

He added, “Our administration will firmly and strictly respond to any provocation by North Korea. We will deter North Korean nuclear and missile threats while also equipping ourselves with more fundamental and practical security capabilities.”

South Korea and the US fired eight missiles on Monday as a means to emphasize their right to self-defense after the North fired eight missiles the previous day. Per international law, acting on the right to self-defense requires a nation to keep with the principle of “proportionality” and respond to threats in kind and in quantity.

When he stirred controversy by mentioning a potential “preemptive strike” during his campaign for president, Yoon had explained that it was a defense plan based on South Korea’s right to self-defense. For the Yoon administration, the right to self-defense serves as the logical cornerstone of its claim to a firm response.

Compared to the Moon Jae-in administration, the current administration is countering North Korean missile threats with much more frequent and forceful military responses. Monday’s counterfire was unusual in that it took place early in the morning, before sunrise, boasting the fact that South Korea and the US are capable of striking the North with precision at any time.

The South Korean Joint Chiefs explained, “The recent joint surface-to-surface missile launches by South Korea and the US showed that even if North Korea carries out missile provocations from multiple locations, [we] have the ability and posture to immediately and precisely strike the origin point of the provocations as well as their back-up force while maintaining our monitoring posture at all times.”

On Sunday, North Korea fired eight missiles from four locations including the Sunan area of Pyongyang.

Monday’s counterfire was reportedly aimed at various targets.

During its five-year term, the Moon administration carried out a total of three counterfires in response to North Korean missile launches. These were in response to North Korea’s intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launches on two occasions — July 5, 2017, and March 24, 2022 — and in response to the country’s intermediate-range ballistic missile launch on Sept. 15, 2017.

During the first month of its term, the Yoon administration has twice already fired missiles jointly with the US. On May 25, it responded to North Korea’s ICBM launch, while on Monday, it responded to North Korea’s SRBM launch.

These are all part and parcel of the Yoon administration’s emphasis on responding “firmly and strictly” to North Korean provocations, but concerns are arising that the military tit for tat the two Koreas are engaged in will heighten military tensions.

During his Memorial Day address, Yoon also referred to the Korean War as an “invasion by communist forces,” demonstrating how his administration’s viewpoint can be differentiated from that of the Moon administration.

Some point out that the South needs to come up with clear guidelines on how to respond to North Korean shows of force.

A military official commented, “The military deterrence effect, cost, and other factors should be weighed to determine whether a joint counterfire by South Korea and the US is an appropriate response to SRBM launches, which are not tactical threats like ICBM launches and nuclear tests by North Korea.”

By Kwon Hyuk-chul, staff reporter

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