On the 25th, North Korea fired three ballistic missiles, including an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). The media reported that it was the first time that North Korea had fired an ICBM with a ballistic missile, saying that it was a ‘mixed shot’. In particular, it is analyzed that it is North Korea’s reaction to the three countries, South Korea, Japan, and South Korea, which have strongly changed their stance toward North Korea, as North Korea fired missiles on the way home from US President Joe Biden’s trip to South Korea and Japan. There are also speculations that North Korea might conduct a seventh nuclear test as the next response.
Park Ji-hyeon, chairman of the Joint Emergency Response Countermeasures Committee, made a public apology and discussed the ‘586 resignation theory’, but the party leadership revealed that Park’s remarks were only personal thoughts and not an official position, and the conflict within the party is intensifying. On the morning of the 26th, most media reported that the Democratic Party should endure and accept Chairman Park Ji-hyun’s bitterness in editorials.
Another shooting took place in Texas, USA, killing 19 elementary school students and a teacher. Whenever there is a mass shooting, there is a voice for regulation, but there are reports that the possibility of actual regulation is low.
All major daily newspapers reported the news of North Korea’s missile launch on one page. Except for the Chosun Ilbo, all of them reported this as a top-page article. The top article on the front page of the Chosun Ilbo was regarding President Yoon Seok-yeol’s attendance at the Small Business Entrepreneurs Convention.
The following is the headline of the front page of a major general daily newspaper.
Kyunghyang Shinmun “North Korea fired three missiles ‘at the same time’ at South Korea, the US and Japan”
Kookmin Ilbo “North Korea, this time using ICBMs, etc… nuclear detonator test
Dong-A Ilbo “North Korea fires three bars at South Korea, the US and Japan… Countdown to nuclear tests
Seoul newspaper “North Korea crosses the red line once more, 7th nuclear test imminent”
Segye Ilbo “ICBM fired, North Korea tests nuclear detonator operation”
The Chosun Ilbo “The Promise of Coexistence in Hand Printing”
JoongAng Ilbo “North Korea fired an ICBM, showing signs of a nuclear test… President Yoon’s strong warning
Hankyoreh “North Korean missiles aimed at South Korea and the US… Yoon Seok-yeol government security test bed
The Hankook Ilbo “North Korea is also facing strong rivers… Signs of nuclear test following ICBM
North Korea’s missile ‘mix-and-shoot’ response to South Korea-U.S.-Japan cooperation
On the 25th, North Korea fired three ballistic missiles, including an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). It is the first time that North Korea has fired a mixture of ICBM and ballistic missile, and the media believed it was intended to test the South Korean and US missile defenses and to put pressure on the US and South Korea and Japan.
South Korea and the United States conducted live-fire joint surface-to-surface missiles immediately following North Korea’s missile launch on the same day, and it is the first time since July 2017 that the two countries have jointly responded to North Korean military action. Many media outlets expressed concern regarding North Korea’s provocations in the future. It is highly likely that North Korea will force a 7th nuclear test, etc., as the next response.
The Chosun Ilbo wrote an editorial stating that the alliance should be strengthened in response to such security concerns, and the Kyunghyang Shinmun and the Hankyoreh wrote an editorial stating that an alternative such as dialogue should be considered for policy balance.
The Chosun Ilbo said in an editorial on the same day, “The security of the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia is at zero clock. Kim Jong-un threatened South Korea with a ‘nuclear preemptive strike’. There is a high possibility that it will conduct a seventh nuclear test soon,” he said.
“As the world enters a new Cold War state, North Korea, China, and Russia, whose interests are aligned, will become closer. “This is our security burden as it is,” he wrote.
The Kyunghyang Shinmun said in an editorial, “There is no law that says, “There is no such thing as a situation of extreme strong-gang confrontation like in 1994 or 2018. As there is a risk of an accidental collision, the need for situation management has increased.” “The security authorities must closely monitor the North Korean trend and maintain a response posture. On the one hand, we need to find measures to entice North Korea into dialogue,” he wrote.
The Hankyoreh, in an editorial, said, “I am concerned regarding the situation in which South Korea, the United States, Japan, and North Korea, China, and Russia face sharply in each field, leading to a military confrontation. looks like a backlash The South Korea-US summit on the 21st only presented hard-line measures once morest North Korea, such as expanding the South Korea-US joint exercises and deploying strategic assets for the US military, but did not show any measures to lead the North to dialogue.”
The Hankyoreh editorial continued, “The situation is even more serious in that North Korea’s movements are linked with those of China and Russia once morest the US-led Indo-Pacific strategy. It is a time when policy balance is desperately needed to find
Democrats who can’t accept Park Ji-hyun
Hankyoreh “In the presidential election, ‘use’… have to embrace”
Conflict is deepening within the Democratic Party of Korea due to the public apology and internal criticism from Park Ji-hyeon, chairman of the Joint Emergency Response Response Team. Vice Chairman Park held an emergency press conference on the 24th and apologized to the public for the party’s actions. On the 25th, he mentioned the resignation of 586 politicians and said, “I will finish it as soon as possible even by activating the emergency disciplinary authority of the non-captain,” regarding Rep. Choi Kang-wook, who caused a controversy over sexual harassment remarks. On the other hand, the party leadership said that Park’s remarks were only personal thoughts and not an official position.
Chairman Park Ji-hyeon said, “Even following losing the presidential election, strife still persists, sexual violence cases are repeated, and the fandom politics that deny democracy within the party are serious and nothing has changed.” “The media environment and inaccurate public opinion polls are confusing the people’s choices,” he said.
The Kookmin Ilbo on the same day criticized the editorial “The Democratic Party has no future if it attacks even the voice of self-worth”, saying, “The problem is the appearance of the party that cannot even tolerate an apology.” The Kookmin Ilbo editorial said, “The point of the Democratic Party is to be deeply engraved on the inside of the Democratic Party,” he said. “The Democratic Party has admitted that it is a corrupt party that does not tolerate even rational advice that all people agree with,” he wrote.
The same was true of the Hankyoreh and the Kyunghyang Shinmun, which are classified as progressive among daily newspapers. In the case of the Hankyoreh, Chairman Park Ji-hyeon’s remarks without careful discussion might be problematic, but the Democratic Party wrote that he had already been appointed as chairman and should show his reformation.
The Kyunghyang Shinmun said in an editorial that day, “They do not think regarding their own shortcomings and are still blaming others. A significant number of lawmakers are aware of all these circumstances, but they keep their mouths shut because they are afraid of the attacks of strong supporters.
“The most serious thing is the attitude of the party leadership toward such reflection and voices pointing out the party’s problems,” he wrote. In a closed meeting, Vice Chairman Yoon criticized Chairman Park for saying, “I have no qualifications as a leader,” and for the fact that floor leader Park Hong-geun also said, “Isn’t it an individual position?”
The Hankyoreh editorial “‘Park Ji-hyeon Renewal Plan’ Goseong-go-go-go-go-go-go-go-go-go-go-go-go-go-go-go-go-go-go-go-ease the public’s stinging gaze” also said, “It seems that only the dissonance is exposed as the leadership draws a line all at once. I don’t seem to feel the pity of the people,” he wrote.
However, the Hankyoreh also wrote, “It is not appropriate that Chairman Park did not go through sufficient and careful discussions within the party prior to raising the reform proposal or the theory of responsibility.”
The Hankyoreh continued, “I think the Democrats should not miss the point of raising his issue now.” “I left him appointed at the last minute of the presidential election to become the vice chairman, and now criticizing ‘political immaturity’ is to use only Chairman Park’s ‘image’. You may be criticized for doing so. The reform of the Democratic Party will be able to take the first step only when it shows a bold attitude to embrace ‘different opinions’.”
Repeated shootings in the U.S., why gun control is out of the question
A mass shooting occurred at an elementary school in Texas, USA on the 24th (local time). At least 21 people were killed, including 19 children. In the United States, gun control legislation is being discussed once more due to repeated mass shootings, but there is little expectation that gun control will be implemented in practice.
The Kyunghyang Shinmun placed an article on page 14 titled, “The US, the powerful ‘lobby’ and the Republican party’s ‘behind the scenes’ following the relentless massacre. US Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat, is the person who introduced a bill to strengthen the right to buy guns following the 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, in his district, where 20 children and 6 adults, including a teacher, were killed. Since then, he has strongly advocated gun control.
The Kyunghyang Shinmun reported on why gun control is difficult in the United States: “First of all, the United States is a country that guarantees the right of individuals to own and carry firearms through the Second Amendment to the Constitution. There is a strong perception that the right to own firearms is a basic right that even the government cannot infringe. With more than 5 million members, the NRA is known for influencing federal and state governments by sponsoring large amounts of political money in Washington DC.
The article from the Kyunghyang Shinmun said, “This organization, which spends more than $250 million a year, is sprinkling huge lobbying funds to defend gun ownership. It is graded from A to F, and such classification is known to have a significant impact on the election results.”
Also last year, the Democrat-majority House of Representatives in the US passed legislation that strengthens background checks for gun buyers and prevents them from buying guns online or in private, but was blocked by the Senate due to Republican opposition.
After the incident, the NRA is scheduled to hold its annual general meeting in Houston, Texas on the 27th, and there is news that not only Governor Abbott, but also Republican giants such as Senator Ted Cruz and former President Donald Trump are scheduled to give speeches.
