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North Korea seeks to tame South Korea: unification minister

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Unification Minister Kwon Young-se prepares to depart for Germany from Incheon International Airport, Sunday. Kwon will attend the 32nd anniversary of German Unity Day there. Yonhap
Unification Minister Kwon Young-se prepares to depart for Germany from Incheon International Airport, Sunday. Kwon will attend the 32nd anniversary of German Unity Day there. Yonhap

Pyongyang launches missiles four times during past week

By Kwon Mee-yoo

North Korea's motives behind its test launches of missiles four times in the week since Sept. 25 are complicated, said Unification Minister Kwon Young-se, adding that taming South Korea's newly inaugurated Yoon Suk-yeol government is one of the goals of the reclusive nation.

"(North Korea) wants to take control of matters about the Korean Peninsula and they want to upgrade their weapons at the same time," Kwon said at Incheon International Airport, Sunday, before departing for Germany to attend German Unity Day celebrations.

Drawing attention from the U.S. government is another possible reason behind North Korea's provocations, he said.

North Korea test-fired a total of seven missiles at four times from Sept. 25 to Oct. 1. It fired a short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) on Sept. 25, followed by two missiles each on Sept. 28 and 29 and two more SRBMs on Saturday, which was South Korea's Armed Forces Day.

Minister Kwon said provocation is undesirable for peace on the Korean Peninsula regardless of its intent, saying the South Korean government "will act decisively in this issue."

He added that the government is looking at the possibility of imposing sanctions on its own, or with allies or international organizations such as the United Nations.

"I hope that North Korea would recognize that it is better to talk with us to resolve the issue of denuclearization for peace on the Korean Peninsula and come out to the dialogue table," Kwon said.

Citizens watch a news report about a North Korean missile launch on a television at Seoul Station, Saturday, as Pyongyang launched two missiles that day, which coincided with Seoul's Armed Forces Day. Yonhap
Citizens watch a news report about a North Korean missile launch on a television at Seoul Station, Saturday, as Pyongyang launched two missiles that day, which coincided with Seoul's Armed Forces Day. Yonhap

His remarks came a day after President Yoon urged the North to take measures for denuclearization.

In a speech for Armed Forces Day on Oct. 1, Yoon said, "Now is the time for North Korea to make a decision on denuclearization." He went on to say that South Korea and the United States will strengthen joint military drills to achieve an "alliance in action" and South Korea will dramatically upgrade its capabilities on surveillance, monitoring and striking of targets.

The Armed Forces Day ceremony was held a day after South Korea and the United States completed four-day military drills in the East Sea and one-day trilateral drills among South Korea, the United States and Japan. The North responded to the allies' show of force with the missile launches.

Minister Kwon also expressed worries over a defectors' group detained by the police over sending propaganda leaflets to the North from Paju, Gyeonggi Province, Saturday evening.

"Under the Development of Inter-Korean Relations Act, I basically oppose the clause banning sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets to the North, although North-South relations are in a very sensitive stage," Kwon said, pointing out that Pyongyang wants to use the leaflets as an excuse for its provocations of Seoul.

Kwon is invited to attend the 32nd anniversary of Germany's reunification at Erfurt, Thuringia, Monday (local time).

While visiting Germany, the minister will exchange thoughts on President Yoon Suk-yeol's "audacious initiative" for North Korea's denuclearization and unification. He will pay a courtesy call on German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier with a request for Berlin's cooperation.

Kwon has close ties with Germany as he studied the process of German reunification in 1992 when he was dispatched to the German Ministry of Justice.

"It is meaningful for me to visit Germany after 30 years as a person in charge of unification issues of the Korean Peninsula," he said.

"I will present President Yoon's audacious initiative to Germany and ask for support as well as endorsement for the World Expo 2030 Busan."

The audacious initiative is the Yoon administration's roadmap for North Korea's denuclearization in exchange for economic assistance.


Kwon Mee-yoo meeyoo@koreatimes.co.kr


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