South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has warned North Korea that if it deployed nuclear weapons, it would be met with an overwhelming response from the South Korea-U.S. alliance.
During a military parade in Seoul, Mr. Yoon underscored that South Korea is committed to fortifying its security measures through a steadfast alliance with the United States and bolstered trilateral cooperation with Japan.
“Should North Korea deploy nuclear arms, the South Korea-U.S. alliance will respond with overwhelming force to neutralize the threat and dismantle the North Korean regime,” he stated on Sept. 26.
The parade was South Korea’s first large-scale military display in a decade.
Addressing the event, Mr. Yoon extolled the valor and sacrifices made by the South Korean military in safeguarding the nation from the belligerent advances of North Korea.
“North Korea’s persistent escalation of its nuclear and missile programs, in flagrant defiance of international warnings, poses a grave threat not only to South Koreans but also challenges global security,” he said.
Mr Yoon’s comments have been viewed as the most stern towards North Korea from a sitting South Korean president.
The parade, commemorating the 75th anniversary of South Korea’s armed forces and the 70th anniversary of the U.S.-South Korea alliance, featured an array of military assets, including ballistic missiles and advanced attack helicopters.
The homegrown long-range missile defense system, L-SAM, the Hyunmoo-series missiles, and the KF-21 stealth fighters were notable inclusions.
Three hundred U.S. troops stationed in South Korea also participated.
South Korea’s military parade took on added significance given global instability beyond North Korea, including the Russia-Ukraine conflict and escalating tensions in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea,
During his speech, President Yoon cautioned South Koreans against being duped by deceptive promises.
“We will not be hoodwinked by the falsehoods peddled by North Korean communists, their sympathizers, and their puppeteers in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP),” Mr. Yoon declared.
Amidst ongoing influence from communist ideologies, cultural Marxism, and the CCP, a faction within South Korea advocates for a more lenient stance toward North Korea and closer ties with China while opposing the tripartite alliance with the United States and Japan.
He criticized segments of the South Korean population for “fanning the flames of anti-Japanese sentiment,” terming them as “communist forces, opportunistic elements, and enemies of the state.”
Xi’s Agenda
Just days before the military parade, Chinese leader Xi Jinping, during a meeting with South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo in Hangzhou, made an unsolicited offer to visit South Korea.Experts have said that Mr. Xi’s overture serves multiple agendas: deflection from domestic and global scrutiny, a veiled warning to Kim Jong Un against unilateral alignment with Russia, and an attempt to sow pro-Beijing sentiment in South Korea to weaken its alliances with the United States and Japan.
But Mr. Yoon has publicly rebuked China for shielding North Korean transgressions at the U.N. Security Council and for criticizing the U.S.-South Korea Washington Declaration.
He has also admonished the Chinese ambassador for diplomatic impropriety in South Korea and demanded mutual respect in bilateral interactions.
Kim Taewoo, former director of the Korea Institute for Unification Studies and a current military studies professor at South Korea’s Konyang University, offered the president some advice.
“Before any proposed visit by [Chinese leader] Xi, China should express remorse for its inappropriate treatment of former [South Korean] President Moon Jae-in during his 2017 visit to China,” he told The Epoch Times.
“President Moon was left to dine alone eight times over a four-day stay, and where violence was inflicted on two members of his delegation, resulting in one being severely injured and repatriated in a wheelchair,” he said.
US-South Korea Alliance—70 Years
North Korea has test-fired 11 ballistic missiles and 16 cruise missiles this year in flagrant violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions.On Feb. 9, North Korea hosted a military parade commemorating the 75th anniversary of the founding of its armed forces, debuting new armaments, including intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and the so-called Mars Artillery Type 17 (Hwasong-17).
State-run media boasted of North Korea’s “maximum nuclear attack capability,” heightening concerns among military analysts in South Korea who observe that North Korea’s missile technology has made significant advancements.
The Mars-17 ICBM is estimated to have a range of up to 15,000 kilometers (about 9,300 miles), putting the entire continental United States within striking distance.
To confront North Korea’s mounting military belligerence, Mr. Yoon affirmed at the military parade that his country’s armed forces are fully equipped and capable of countering such threats. He announced the establishment of a strategic command center to consolidate control over key resources and a specialized drone operations unit to handle drone-based provocations.
Speaking on Sept. 25 at the 8th annual U.S.-Korea Strategic Forum hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Mr. Blinken emphasized that the partnership also extends to fostering global peace and security.
Professor Kim Tae-woo pointed out the geopolitical undercurrents.
“The Chinese Communist Party is uncomfortable with any strengthening of the tripartite alliance between South Korea, the U.S., and Japan.
“Xi Jinping’s sudden offer to visit South Korea aims to weaken this alliance. However, Yoon’s firm stance against China has led the CCP to tread cautiously, treating South Korea with a newfound respect.”
