2024-02-10 23:58:00
Kim Jong-un’s threats continue: he ruled out any possibility of diplomacy and threatened to annihilate South Korea (AP)
North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un does not cease his threats once morest the West and his neighbor to the south. During a visit to the Ministry of Defense, Kim insisted on the importance of severing relations with Seoul as soon as possible and even assuming a more aggressive posture that “guarantees the legality of attacking and destroying (South Korea) when provoked.”
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The rivalry between the countries dates back decades and, despite small advances that were achieved over the years, recently the threats and friction have intensified. Even weeks ago, the North Korean leader himself ordered his Parliament to completely abandon the goal of unification and, on the contrary, urged them to rewrite the Constitution to declare Seoul its most hostile foreign adversary.
Pyongyang then moved forward with the closure of government departments in charge of handling affairs with the South Korean Executive, the demolition of an important unification monument and the abolition of laws that governed common economic projects.
Many experts believe that Kim seeks to weaken Seoul and force the United States to negotiate in the face of his nuclear weapons threats (Europa Press)
These measures, according to analysts, added to the North’s weapons and nuclear strengthening, have the ultimate goal of reducing Seoul’s voice and forcing the United States to sit at the negotiating table over a possible threat of atomic weapons. Experts have even pointed out that Kim seeks Washington to recognize him as a nuclear power and face new security and economic concessions from that position.
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However, there are also those who believe that the dictator’s measures seek to increase the feeling of external threat, creating the image of Seoul as the ultimate enemy. This would explain, for example, the campaigns to eliminate the influence of South Korean culture and language on its population.
Whatever the reason, neighboring President Yoon Suk Yeol took aim at Kim and his cabinet, calling them “irrational” actors who only increase pressure on his weakened economy and aggressively expand their nuclear weapons and missiles.
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“We must keep this in mind as we prepare to counter their security threats or provocations, preparing not only for actions based on rational judgments, but also for actions based on irrational conclusions,” he said.
Yoon Suk Yeol took aim at Pyongyang for its recent measures (AP)
It also announced that it plans to develop an advanced ship-based missile interceptor this year in a bid to counter threats from the north. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) will begin research for its development in the coming months, with the aim of incorporating it into a next-generation Navy destroyer, which is already being built.
The Agency announced that the projectile, named “Ship-to-Air Missile II”, will be manufactured by the American company Raytheon and will have a higher performance than the “standard-2” (SM-2) missile currently used by the navy. In addition, its range will be regarding 90 nautical miles, that is, 166 kilometers.
The entire project was approved in 2023 and foresees an expenditure of 690 billion won (regarding 480 million euros) that will be executed until 2030.
(With information from Europa Press)
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