(PresidentialInsider.com)- The days of South Korea soothing its northern neighbor are done according to Yoon Suk Yeol, the country’s new president, who stated that any further discussions between the two nations must be initiated by Kim Jong Un.
Yoon stated. He believes the ball is in Chairman Kim’s court – it is his option to begin a discussion with South Korea.
North Korea’s regime has lately resumed missile testing, having conducted more tests in 2022 than in the previous two years combined. Kim recently pledged to “strengthen and build” his country’s nuclear capabilities at the “fastest feasible” speed.,
Nonetheless, Yoon stated that South Korea and its allies are prepared to respond to any provocation by North Korea.
Yoon slammed his predecessor’s accommodative approach to North Korean dialogue.
He said that just avoiding and appeasing North Korean provocation or confrontation for a short time is not something they should do. Over the last five years, this technique has shown to be a disaster.
Yoon is a former prosecutor and a political newbie. He has often underlined the importance of taking a stricter approach against North Korea and indicated a great desire to boost the military in the South. These attitudes are a substantial shift from Yoon’s predecessor, Moon Jae-in, who called for peaceful reunification between the two Koreas and often urged friendly talks with the North.
Despite what some may take as open antagonism toward North Korea, Yoon stated that although he did not want North Korea to “collapse,” he also did not believe that the South’s communist neighbor should be encouraged to continue developing its nuclear weapons.
He said what he desires on the Korean Peninsula is shared and common prosperity. Enhancing nuclear capabilities, in his opinion, is neither helpful nor beneficial to international peace.
Yoon underlined the necessity of South Korea’s robust security partnership with the United States during his presidential campaign in South Korea.
Following Yoon’s recent meeting with President Joe Biden, the two leaders stated in a joint statement that they would start talking about resuming and maybe increasing cooperative military training. North Korea’s leadership is likely to be enraged by this decision, as Kim Jong Un will see the repeated drills as a direct challenge to his country’s sovereignty.
Despite Yoon’s reluctance to talk with his North Korean colleagues, Biden stated that if Kim were “sincere and genuine,” he would meet with him.
