President Moon, Without Mentioning North Korea, States "Permanent Peace on the Korean Peninsula Is Our Military's Mission"

73rd Armed Forces Day Ceremony at Pohang Yeongil Bay... "Firm Response to Any Acts Threatening Public Safety"

[Asia Economy Reporters Ryu Jeong-min and Lee Ji-eun] President Moon Jae-in did not make any remarks regarding the resumption of dialogue with North Korea at the Armed Forces Day ceremony on the 1st. North Korea had declared the ‘restoration of communication lines in early October’ but did not respond to calls on that day. Instead, it continued provocations by launching new missiles. Amid President Moon’s pause and North Korea’s dual strategy toward the South, progress toward the next phase of improving inter-Korean relations is slow.

At the ‘73rd Armed Forces Day’ ceremony held in Yeongil Bay, Pohang, Gyeongbuk, on the morning of the same day, President Moon stated, "The first and greatest duty of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces is to create and maintain lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula," adding, "This is also the mission of our military."

President Moon said, "Based on the trust and pride in our security posture, I proposed to the international community a new era of ‘end-of-war declaration’ and ‘reconciliation and cooperation’ on the Korean Peninsula."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

In his commemorative speech that day, President Moon expressed his determination to strengthen self-reliant defense capabilities and to leap forward as an elite strong military, but he made no special mention of North Korea’s missile launches. Only an indirect message regarding North Korean provocations was conveyed, stating, "The government and military will respond firmly to any acts that threaten the lives and safety of the people."

President Moon referred to the complete abolition of the missile guidelines that had been maintained for 40 years, emphasizing, "The government is making its best efforts to build a power that no one can shake and a comprehensive security capability that no one can challenge."

Meanwhile, North Korea continued provocations by test-firing a new anti-aircraft missile just one day after Kim Jong-un, General Secretary of the Workers’ Party, mentioned the ‘restoration of communication lines in early October.’

The Korean Central News Agency reported that "On September 30, the National Defense Science Institute conducted a test launch aimed at confirming the comprehensive combat performance of the newly developed anti-aircraft missile, as well as the operational practicality of the launcher, detector, and combat command vehicle." Photos released alongside suggest that the anti-aircraft missile is presumed to be a surface-to-air missile.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The inter-Korean communication lines were not connected. The Ministry of Unification announced at 9 a.m. that the opening call at the Inter-Korean Joint Liaison Office did not take place. Experts analyze that North Korea’s alternating warm and cold actions, such as progressive statements and missile launches, are intended to test the South.

Professor Yang Moo-jin of the University of North Korean Studies said, "There appear to be internal purposes to show ‘defense sector achievements’ presented at the 8th Party Congress, purposes toward the South to test the withdrawal of double standards, and external purposes to highlight and lead Korean Peninsula issues," predicting that North Korea is likely to continue its dual strategy of hard and soft approaches.

Jung Sung-jang, head of the North Korea Research Center at the Sejong Institute, also analyzed, "If we condemn North Korea’s missile development as a ‘provocation,’ inter-Korean relations will inevitably worsen politically."

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