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Minister of Foreign Affairs Chung Eui-yong responds to questions about North Korea’s long-range missile launch during a plenary session of the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee on March 28. To his right is Lee In-young, the minister of unification. (pool photo)

Concerning the possibility of North Korea resuming nuclear tests, South Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs Chung Eui-yong said Monday that he “is aware things are pointing in that direction.”

The answer came during a Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee meeting at the National Assembly when People Power Party lawmaker Kim Seok-ki commented that North Korea may resume nuclear tests in the future, as the nuclear testing site in the village of Punggye seemed to be undergoing restoration and expansion. This comment marked a government official acknowledging that North Korea may resume nuclear tests next month following its test launch on Thursday of an intercontinental ballistic missile, which Pyongyang argued was the Hwasong-17.

Chung explained that although he has been sharing South Korea’s views with the US in order to facilitate dialogue between Pyongyang and Washington, he “wasn’t able to communicate our proposal with North Korea without having established complete consensus with the US.” He continued, “Recently, the US has come very close to our judgment,” adding, “Though I don’t know what the situation is in North Korea, I’m concerned they are misjudging what is going on completely.”

Minister of Unification Lee In-young, who was also present at the committee meeting, said, “In terms of nuclear tests that some predict will happen, we are watching the situation closely, as there are chances that [nuclear tests] related to miniaturization and developing multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles may take place.”

Lee continued, “There’s still a possibility that, come April, [North Korea] will take additional actions in relation to its satellite system, with its satellite system as the pretext,” adding, “In the name of preparing for long-term competition with the US, North Korea may focus on strengthening its nuclear and military power and stir additional tensions upon a key occasion in April.”

Meanwhile, People Power Party lawmakers commented on the failure of the Moon Jae-in administration’s North Korea policy by referencing Pyongyang’s renunciation of its moratorium on nuclear and missile testing. To this, Chung stressed that “the Korean Peninsula peace process is a procedure that should be continued.”

“I question what other alternatives there are,” Chung said.

Chung also shared that after declaring a moratorium on nuclear and ICBM testing in 2018, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said that “the only person who can prove the decision was right is the US president.” Chung continued, “[In February 2019], until right before the Hanoi summit, we heard from the US that there had been significant, positive progress, but as you all know, [the US side] unilaterally called off the summit. To be honest, the failed Hanoi summit was an incredible disappointment to us.”

Chung went on, “Though it’s a sad story for us, denuclearization and the establishment of complete and permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula are not matters that our government can singlehandedly decide. The US must agree, and the goal cannot be reached unless the US proactively concerns itself with North Korea.”

He added, “That is the reality of our international politics.”

By Song Chae Kyung-hwa, staff reporter; Choi Ha-yan, staff reporter

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