hankyoreh

By Kwon Hyuk-chul, Staff Writer

The Ministry of Defense said Monday that it did not label North Korea the “main enemy” in its 2010 Defense White Paper, but instead inserted the phrase “the North Korean government and military is our enemy.”
A Defense Ministry official said Monday, “The ministry chose to do so to send a strong message to North Korea and express the firm view of the enemy possessed by the South Korean military, while at the same time minimizing grounds for controversy by using the phrase ‘the main enemy.’” Concerning the background to the decision, the official said, “There are no instances of foreign countries using the term ‘main enemy’ in their defense white papers or similar official documents.” He said, “The ministry considered that the Defense White Paper was an official government document open to the domestic public and aboard.”
In “Defense White Paper 2010,” the phrase “the North Korean government and military is our enemy” is reportedly used, with the premise “As long as the threat... such as its massive conventional military strength, development and strengthening of weapons of mass destruction, and continuous armed provocations like the attack on the Cheonan and the shelling of Yeonpyeong Island... endures.”
The Defense Ministry’s decision is believed to be a compromise that partially reflects demands by conservatives to revive the “main enemy” concept after the shelling of Yeonpyeong Island, but at the same time is ready for changes in the situation, such as the restart of inter-Korean dialogue, through the avoidance of direct use of the phrase “main enemy.”
In response, President Lee Myung-bak said in a regular radio and Internet address on Monday, “South Korea has come to know that only a strong response to armed provocations can prevent war and keep the peace.” Lee went on to say, “Being afraid of war cannot, in the end, stop war.”
Lee has raised the level of his comments, beginning on the day of the Yeonpyeong Island shelling (Nov. 23), when he said South Korea must strongly punish North Korea in the event of additional provocations, and continuing to “Now is the time to show in action rather than 100 words” (Nov. 29) and “We must launch a merciless, massive counterattack when we are hit by a surprise attack” (Dec. 23).
Meanwhile, quoting a North Korean security source, Open Radio for North Korea reported Monday that a train laden with birthday gifts for Kim Jong-un (Jan. 8) recently derailed shortly after leaving Sinuiju Station in North Pyongan Province.

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