[앵커]
While North Korea is provoking all-round provocations under the pretext of the ROK-US joint military exercises, the South Korean military is also implementing a response strategy to counter it, increasing tension between the two Koreas.
Experts said that these provocations reflected the nervous situation inside North Korea, and advised that tensions should be managed to avoid accidental clashes.
This is reporter Shin Hyun-joon’s report.
[기자]
North Korea’s provocation began in earnest in late September when it was preparing for the South Korea-US joint training.
More than 50 missiles were fired, including intercontinental ballistic missiles, and various means were mobilized, including artillery fire and sortie fighter jets.
Experts interpreted North Korea’s provocations 18 times in a month and a half as very unusual and disproving the impatience inside North Korea.
[차두현 / 아산정책연구원 수석연구위원 : 북한을 핵 보유국으로 인정을 해달라. 그 다음에 나의 재래 및 핵 관련 무력이 이 정도다 하는 것을 시위하는 효과도 있지만 보면 좀 쥐어짠다는 느낌이 들어요.]
Our military also responded by firing missiles or responding fire in proportion to North Korea’s provocations.
The only concern is accidental armed conflict.
It is pointed out that the North and South should continue to offer high-level dialogue while managing tensions, as the crisis might escalate if the two Koreas continue to respond head-to-head in the absence of dialogue.
North Korea’s 7th nuclear test is also a variable.
Experts predicted that North Korea would use its nuclear card at the decisive moment as it has already accumulated all the data necessary for nuclear weaponization from six nuclear tests.
[조한범 / 통일연구원 선임연구위원 : 북한으로서는 오히려 핵실험을 즐기고 있죠. 지금 카드 만지작거려도 화들짝 놀라거든요. 미국은 북한 문제가 악화하는 걸 원하지 않거든요, 지금 해결할 수 없는 상황에서.]
Talks and negotiations between North Korea and the United States are also far off.
The current Biden administration’s policy toward North Korea is to meet unconditionally, and North Korea is still running parallel by demanding the withdrawal of its hostile policy toward North Korea first.
This is YTN Shin Hyeon-jun.
YTN Shin Hyeon-jun (shinhj@ytn.co.kr)
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