North Korea's New Long-Range Missile Launch Deemed "No Strategic Provocation" by Jeong Eui-yong

Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong is attending the Cabinet meeting held at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 14th. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] North Korea conducted test launches of a newly developed long-range cruise missile over the past weekend, but Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong stated on the 14th that "since November 2017, North Korea has not engaged in any strategic provocations."

Minister Chung appeared at a National Assembly government inquiry session that day and responded to a question from Tae Young-ho, a member of the People Power Party, asking, "Do you think the Moon Jae-in administration's diplomacy and unification policies have been successful?" He said, "Even after the Hanoi summit breakdown, they have maintained the two moratoriums they promised. This has greatly contributed to a significant reduction in military tensions on the Korean Peninsula."

He also clearly stated that Kim Jong-un, General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea, has the will for denuclearization. When Representative Tae asked, "President Moon Jae-in has said on multiple occasions that Kim Jong-un has the will to denuclearize. Do you believe that?" Minister Chung replied, "General Secretary Kim Jong-un personally signed the April 27 Panmunjom Military Agreement, the September 19 Pyongyang Joint Declaration, and the June 12 Singapore Joint Statement, and made direct promises to his people. Even though North Korea is a one-man leadership system, he would feel considerable pressure regarding promises made directly to his people." He added, "Rather than debating whether there is a will to denuclearize, the practical measure is to continue pressuring and inducing them through cooperation to put their promises into action." When Representative Tae pointed out that "General Secretary Kim himself said he has continuously developed nuclear weapons without halting their development," Minister Chung responded, "I believe that was an internal message."

After the questioning, Representative Tae evaluated the Moon Jae-in administration's four years of diplomacy and security policy as a "total failure," stating, "The illusion that North Korea's nuclear issue will be resolved through surprise TV shows or election-driven summits must end now."

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