Diplomacy, defense officials take it too easy on N.K. nuclear threats

Diplomacy, defense officials take it too easy on N.K. nuclear threats. September. 22, 2016 07:33. by 허문명논설위원 angelhuh@donga.com.

Kim Jin-pyo, a lawmaker of the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea, called for redeployment of tactical nuclear weapons in South Korea, arguing that North Korea’s nuclear development had turned the 1991 inter-Korean joint declaration of a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula into a mere scrap of paper. It was very unusual for an opposition lawmaker to claim South Korea should give terror to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un by responding to nuclear threats with nuclear weapons. Lee Cheol-woo, a ruling party lawmaker, also urged Seoul to “consider all means possible” including redeployment of tactical nukes, nuclear development, pre-emptive strikes and toppling the North Korean regime. It was a welcome signal that rival parties were united on an issue of national security for the first time in a long time.

The National Assembly overwhelmingly passed a new resolution Wednesday that urges Pyongyang to drop its nuclear development program. "The National Assembly actively supports the efforts made by the government and the international community against North Korean nukes," the resolution said. The lawmakers also urged the government to come up with countermeasures against North Korea's development of submarine-launched ballistic missiles as well as weapons of mass destruction.

It seemed that Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn and Defense Minister Han Min-koo were taking things easy when they reiterated that the South Korean government will continue to support denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. The defense chief continued to stress the South Korea-U.S. alliance, saying, "The Seoul-Washington's military alliance, as well as South Korea's political, diplomatic, intelligence and economy capabilities will curb Pyongyang's nukes." The South Korean military’s inability to present how it will defense the country makes South Korean people uneasy.

There are increasing voices in the United States calling for Washington not intervene even if North Korea invades South Korea. What would Seoul do if Donald Trump, who wants South Korea to defend itself, gets elected next U.S. president? It is possible that after deploying nuclear weapons, Pyongyang’s Kim Jong Un regime threatens to use them if Washington refuses to withdraw its troops out of the South. It is also highly possible that Pyongyang will propose a North Korea-U.S. peace treaty, under which the North reduces or freezes its nuclear arsenal in return for U.S. troop withdrawal.

South Korean President Park Geun-hye and top officials in charge of diplomacy and national security should ease the people’s anxiety with a thorough strategy against Pyongyang’s threats. The North has set up a giant canopy over the entryway of the No. 3 tunnel at the Punggye-ri nuclear test site where many expect a sixth nuclear test could take place. It is frustrating to see Seoul officials giving hackneyed answers to questions over the North Korean nuclear development, which is close to actual deployment.