Jung Se-hyun: "North Korea's ICBM Reveal is for the U.S... Linking it to Moon's Peace Declaration is an Absurd Idea"

"North Korea Has Justified Nuclear Weapons as a Means of Self-Defense"
"If the U.S. Wants to Eliminate ICBMs, It Must Offer Significant Concessions"

Jeong Se-hyun, Senior Vice Chairman of the Democratic Peaceful Unification Advisory Council, is speaking at a meeting with former Ministers of Unification held on the afternoon of the 17th of last month at The Plaza Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] On the 10th, when a new type of mobile intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) was unveiled at the 75th anniversary military parade of the founding of the Workers' Party of Korea, opposition parties criticized, questioning whether the 'end-of-war declaration is still valid.' In this context, Jeong Se-hyun, Senior Vice Chairman of the Democratic Peaceful Unification Advisory Council, pointed out that "linking the ICBM to the end-of-war declaration is a misguided idea."

Jeong, who served as Minister of Unification during the Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun administrations, said on the 12th on TBS Radio's 'Kim Eo-jun's News Factory,' "When President Moon proposed the end-of-war declaration, North Korea responded with nuclear weapons, but those nuclear weapons are aimed at the U.S." He added, "The end-of-war declaration is something we urgently need to change the situation, so (President Moon) urged the U.S. to do it and sent a message to North Korea to cooperate."

He further explained, "North Korea neither has the power nor the will to use nuclear weapons against the U.S., but if the U.S. militarily pressures us, shouldn't we have self-defense means? So they have justified (nuclear armament) by saying that we are trying to possess nuclear weapons."

Regarding the ICBM revealed at the parade, Jeong said, "It is a message not to be taken lightly and not to be provoked," and analyzed, "If North Korea wants to eliminate things like ICBMs when nuclear negotiations start in the future, they want a lot of concessions in return. They are asking for a price." He emphasized that the message was aimed at the U.S., not President Moon.

North Korea unveiled a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of targeting the U.S. mainland at the military parade commemorating the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Workers' Party on the 10th. / Photo by Yonhap News

Regarding North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un's mention of "beloved southern compatriots" at the parade, Jeong said, "I thought there was a kind of foreshadowing considering inter-Korean relations after next year," and predicted, "Politicians' remarks are not just chosen to sound nice. From next year, (Kim Jong-un) will probably become softer."

Meanwhile, on the same day, opposition parties pointed out that North Korea's large-scale unveiling of new strategic weapons such as ICBMs and submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) expressed North Korea's strong will to maintain nuclear armament.

Joo Ho-young, floor leader of the People Power Party, said at the early countermeasure meeting of the National Assembly's audit on the same day, "Even after seeing the ostentatious display of ICBMs and SLBMs, it is very questionable whether President Moon's awareness of security still considers the end-of-war declaration valid," and emphasized, "The public should be clearly informed why the end-of-war declaration is being pursued at this stage."

He continued, "North Korea clearly declares externally that it has no intention to give up nuclear and missile forces under any circumstances," and criticized, "In this situation, where is the basis for the Democratic Party of Korea's perception that North Korea has responded to the peace process on the Korean Peninsula?"

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.