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| A South Korean Marine patrols the beach of Yeonpyeong Island bordering North Korea in the West Sea, Wednesday. / Yonhap |
S. Korean government lodges strong protest
By Kang Seung-woo
Following through on its previously made threats, North Korea is now inching toward nullifying an inter-Korean military agreement, which may lead to tension-stoking incidents.
After its unilateral demolition of the inter-Korean liaison office in the border city of Gaeseong, Tuesday, the reclusive state announced Wednesday that its military would enter the Mount Geumgang tourist area and Gaeseong Industrial Complex, and rebuild sentry posts along the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). The North also said its military will resume exercises in border areas, including seas off its southwest coast.
If carried out, any of these would abrogate the military agreement signed during a 2018 inter-Korean summit to reduce tensions along the heavily fortified border. The agreement bans all hostile acts in this region.
Since Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and probably the second-most powerful person in the North, threatened to close the now-defunct liaison office and scrap the military agreement June 4, she has kept her word, raising concerns that envisaged military actions are in the offing that will ratchet up tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
"The North Korean regime has displayed a carefully calibrated strategy and made its next steps clear," said Park Won-gon, a professor of international politics at Handong Global University.
"Unlike redeploying troops to the two inter-Korean business zones and rebuilding guard posts, military exercises near the Northern Limit Line (NLL) could pose a serious problem."
The NLL is the de facto maritime border between the two Koreas, where inter-Korean clashes have taken place over the years.
The North initiated the offensive, citing anti-Pyongyang leaflets floated across the border by North Korean defectors and activists, but many experts believe this is a short-term game plan and the ultimate goal is to attract the attention of the United States. Washington has had little to do with the North since the collapse of the Hanoi summit in February 2019, at which its "Supreme Leader" expected to secure relief from international economic sanctions led by the U.S.
In that respect, Park said the North may go further in terms of military provocations.
"Today's statement means that the North's offensive was only aimed at the South Korean government. However, given that the intensity of attack on the South is harsher than expected, and its economy is under strain, if the economic difficulties continue and the U.S. pays little attention to the peninsula, the North may launch an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) ― the red line for U.S. President Donald Trump," he said.
"The chances are high that an ICBM test will be conducted."
While announcing the military actions, Kim Yo-jong once again launched harsh criticism at President Moon Jae-in.
"He reeled off a string of shameless and impudent words full of incoherence," Kim was quoted as saying by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). She was referring to Moon's speech Monday on the 2000 Joint Declaration that promoted cross-border reconciliation and cooperation.
"He spoke in the capacity of the president, but it was sickening to listen to his speech, devoid of responsibility and will before the nation, and direction and measures for putting the present situation under control, but packaged in self-defense, avoidance of responsibility and deep-rooted flunkeyism," she added.
In addition, the KCNA said Kim rejected the South's offer to send a special envoy to the North, denouncing it as an "unprecedentedly senseless act." The government here had apparently intended to dispatch either national security adviser Chung Eui-yong or spy agency chief Suh Hoon to talk with representatives from Pyongyang.
Angered by the criticism of Moon and the unilateral unveiling of the special envoy proposal, the government hit back at the North in an unusually strong tone.
"It is a senseless act to disparage Moon's speech in a very rude manner without understanding its purpose at all," Yoon Do-han, the senior presidential secretary for public communication, said in a press briefing.
"We will not tolerate any more of North Korea's indiscreet rhetoric and acts," which fundamentally harm the mutual trust built up between the leaders of the two sides."
Regarding the "undiplomatic" unveiling of the envoy proposal, Yoon said the North should have at least employed "basic etiquette."
The unification ministry expressed strong regret over the North's plan to send troops to the two inter-Korean business zones, urging it to refrain from escalating tension. Meanwhile, the Joint Chiefs of Staff warned that the North will pay the price if any military action is taken against the South.
Amid the escalating tension, the U.S. urged the North to refrain from further counterproductive actions, Tuesday.
"The United States fully supports South Korea's efforts on inter-Korean relations and urges North Korea to refrain from further counterproductive actions," a State Department spokesman told Yonhap News Agency.
