South Korea's new leader, the era of appeasing North Korea is over

South Korea’s new leader, the era of appeasing North Korea is over

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“I think the ball is in Chairman Kim’s courtroom,” Yoon said in his first media interview two weeks ago after taking office. It is his choice to start a conversation with us.

Minister Yoon told CNN at the new Blue House in Seoul’s former Defense Ministry building that South Korea and its allies are preparing for any attack from North Korea.

He pointed out the reconciliation strategy of the former liberal government, “It is not our job to temporarily avoid North Korean provocations or conflicts.” “In the last five years, this approach has proven to be a failure.”

Unlike former President Moon Jae-in, who promoted dialogue and peaceful reconciliation, Rep. Yoon, a former prosecutor and entering politics, has consistently emphasized a hard-line stance toward North Korea and South Korea’s will to strengthen its military capabilities.

Despite his position, Rep. Yun said on Monday that he does not want North Korea to “collapse”.

“What I want is sharing and common prosperity on the Korean Peninsula,” he said. [North Korea’s] Nuclear capabilities help and help maintain international peace.”

USA, China and Quad

Given the recent surge in North Korea’s missile tests and the resumption of activity at an underground nuclear test site, regional leaders were nervous over the weekend as Secretary Yoon met US President Joe Biden in Seoul.
US officials warned that North Korea could prepare to test an underground nuclear or intercontinental ballistic missile during Biden’s first Asian tour since taking office.

So far, that hasn’t happened.

But the two found something in common, Yoon said. CNN showed a signpost that read “Money Stops Here” on a gift from Biden. This quote is often associated with former US President Harry S. Truman. “I don’t know how[Biden]knew I liked this,” Yoon puts it in the middle of his desk.

Throughout the presidential campaign, Yun stressed the importance of a close security alliance between the United States and South Korea. The president of the United States praised the two’s relationship as having reached “new heights”.

The US estimates that North Korea is preparing to test a long-range missile in days as Biden prepares for a trip to Asia.
After the meeting, the two leaders announced in a joint statement that they would begin discussing the resumption and expansion of joint military exercises that were suspended during Biden’s predecessor.

On Monday, Yun defended the move as purely defensive. Regular military training is “a basic duty of every military in the world,” he said.

In the event of an attack, he added, the United States would provide support, including missile defense and a “nuclear umbrella” that promises to protect non-nuclear allies from nuclear weapons states.

However, “the possibility of relocating tactical nuclear weapons has been ruled out. [Korean] Peninsula.”

However, South Korea could see its partnerships with the United States and other regional countries expand in other ways.

Rep. Yoon said it was in South Korea’s “national interest” to join Biden’s Indo-Pacific economic system.

He has joined several working groups in the “Quad” or Quadilateral Security Dialogue, an informal group that Korea has made up of the United States, Australia, India and Japan, working on vaccines, climate change and emerging technologies. However, he did not say that the South would pursue an official quad membership, he said, “we will continue to consider it.”

China is surprised by the quad. But the threat is bringing the group closer.China is surprised by the quad. But the threat is bringing the group closer.
Quad has become more active in recent years as concerns grow. China’s territorial claims were discussed in the area, with the heads of the four countries scheduled to meet in person on Tuesday in Tokyo. Beijing has denounced the bloc as an anti-Chinese “faction” that symbolizes a “toxic” Cold War spirit.

Korea for many years The US has tried to balance the US alliance while strengthening economic ties with China, but relations between South Korea and China have been strained in recent years.

Throughout the campaign, Yun portrayed China as an economic competitor in a colder tone than her predecessor.

When asked if there is a risk that China’s close ties with the US could spark anger, Minister Yoon dismissed the threat of economic retaliation.

“Just because we’re strengthening our security and technology alliance with the United States doesn’t mean we don’t think economic cooperation with China isn’t important,” he said. “Since Korea and China depend on mutual cooperation, I don’t think it makes sense for China to be overly sensitive to this issue,” he added.

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