By Choi Ha-young
President Moon Jae-in is facing growing criticism regarding his peace overtures to North Korea following the latter's sixth nuclear test Sunday.
Opposition parties are launching a political offensive against Moon, claiming his naive ideas about the Kim Jong-un regime are making the situation worse. Right after the test, Moon expressed fury and strongly criticized it but reiterated using “diplomatic measures” to halt the North's nuclear program.
In contrast, the largest conservative Liberty Korea Party (LKP) touted military options, reaffirming its support of the redeployment of U.S. tactical nuclear weapons and the deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system.
“South Korea should operate THAAD batteries right now,” LKP floor leader Chung Woo-taik said.
“The nation should start negotiations to redeploy tactical nuclear weapons and nuclear-powered submarines; permanently deploy U.S. strategic weapons on the peninsula; and completely cut off the oil supply from China to the North.”
LKP Chairman Hong Joon-pyo slammed “inexperienced” government officials, targeting Moon's chief of staff and foreign minister. “The President should abandon leftist amateurs in the Cabinet rapidly and organize a professional team,” Hong said.
The minor conservative Bareun Party spoke against the ruling Democratic Party of Korea Chairwoman Choo Mi-ae's dovish approach to Pyongyang. In line with the administration's stance, Choo insisted on dialogue and a peaceful solution with North Korea, Monday.
“Her remarks show that the ruling camp doesn't have any idea other than dialogue,” Bareun Party chief spokesman Park Jeong-ha said.
The People's Party joined the criticism. “The government should look at reality squarely out of incompetency and illusion,” party Chairman Ahn Cheol-soo said Monday.
Lack of elbow room
However, experts commonly point out that Seoul's responses are extremely limited given the nuclear-armed neighbor's rapid technical progress to become a de facto nuclear weapons state.
“Currently, any kind of military response can deteriorate the situation and cause Pyongyang to retaliate,” said Lim Eul-chul, a professor at the Institute for Far East Studies of Kyungnam University. “All we can do is to create a balance of terror to deter Pyongyang's reckless choices by deploying U.S. strategic weapons.”
Right after the test, the U.S. considered deploying strategic weapons with South Korea military units here. Early Monday, the ROK and the U.S. staged a combined exercise in response to the North's provocation.
Some experts predicted that China may stop providing oil to its longtime ally. However, the oil cut-off, which could seriously undermine the regime's stability, may push Kim to make a drastic choice.
“If China really stops the oil supply, the young leader may decide to bring on a war,” said Cho Han-bum, a senior research fellow from the Korea Institute for National Unification. “It's better not to threaten the regime's fate. Otherwise, the North will escalate tension by taking Seoul hostage.”
A Chinese state-run English language newspaper, the Global Times, editorial backed the forecast that Beijing won't agree with the international society's demand to cut off the oil supply.
“If China completely cuts off the oil supply to North Korea or even closes the border between China and North Korea, it is uncertain whether we can deter Pyongyang from conducting further nuclear tests and missile launches,” the paper stated Sunday.
According to the paper, China is concerned with possible friction between China and North Korea, which is likely to hurt its national interests. “If a confrontation between China and North Korea occurs, Washington and Seoul can boldly shift the responsibility of the North Korean nuclear issue to China,” it noted.
China, which shares a border with North Korea, has been cautious about regime collapse that may cause a massive refugee exodus into China.