South Korea remains uneasy with North’s nuclear threats

SEOUL, South Korea:

Although the concerns are not worn daily on the faces of South Koreans, the frequent threats of a possible nuclear strike from its northern neighbour are not being taken lightly.

This was expressed by Chai Kyung-Hoon, director of the North Korean Nuclear Policy Division at South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at a press briefing at his office in Seoul on earlier this week.

“Looking at the people in Seoul, you may think that these people are not taking the nuclear issue seriously because we look so peaceful and we don’t look concerned about it, but actually, the authorities are taking this issue very seriously,” he said.

Kyung-Hoon told journalists that since 2022, North Korea has launched more than 100 simulated strikes, landing the missiles in the sea.

Last month, Pyongyang disclosed detailed war plans, reaffirming its aggressive nuclear doctrine to intimidate its opponents as it escalated its protest of South Korean-United States military exercises that it views as a major security threat.

“According to the UN Security Council agreement, North Korea is not allowed to launch any type of nuclear missiles, so that is a very rare and unique case ... . They have violated the treaty by this action and they have been doing this repeatedly,” he said.

Designed for nuclear weapons

Kyung-Hoon said that 12 of the more than 100 missiles launched since last year were intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), which have a range greater than 5,500 kilometres and are primarily designed for nuclear weapons delivery.

A single ICBM carries several warheads, each of which can strike a different target. The US, Russia, China, UK, Israel, and North Korea are the only countries known to have operational ICBMs.

“North Korea has been conducting regular nuclear experiments six times, and now they are working on their seventh experiment. This is not just about a nuclear issue, but they also want to enhance their military capabilities, and this issue could have significant implications. When a country owns their own nuclear weapon, they have their own doctrines, and North Korea has a law that they adopted last year that they can use their weapon without any condition,” said Kyung-Hoon.

He noted that since the adoption of this new doctrine, North Korea has been sending threats to South Korea that they will not be hesitant in launching the first attack.

“This is a serious matter as North Korea is testing short- and long-range missiles, and this means that they can launch an attack on South Korea, Japan, or the United States any time they want, so the [South] Korean government is striving to respond to such threats. We are using our three Ds against their nuclear issues – deterrent, dissuasion, and diplomacy. We deter North Korea from using their weapons, and when we say dissuasive, it means that we want to make them give up on their nuclear weapons development, and when we say diplomacy, it means dialogue, and it means that amid the difficulties, we are still willing to engage in dialogue with North Korea,” he said.

The tension spiked again on Friday after North Korea announced that its new submarine has nuclear attack capabilities after years of development. Leader Kim Jong Un described the milestone as crucial in his efforts to build a nuclear-armed navy to counter the United States and its Asian allies.

The North’s official Korean Central News Agency said the vessel is designed to launch tactical nuclear weapons from underwater, but did not specify the number of missiles it could carry and fire.

South Korean officials were skeptical that the submarine would work as North Korea described and said it likely was not ready for operational duty.

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