Kwon Seong-dong on North Korea's Repeated Military Provocations: "Strengthening Military Morale is Important"

Party-Government-National Assembly National Security Review Meeting
"Insufficient Enhancement Efforts Over the Past 5 Years"
Focus on Strengthening Korea's 3-Axis System

Kwon Seong-dong, floor leader of the People Power Party, is delivering opening remarks at the 'Party-Government-National Assembly Consultative Meeting on National Security Check Related to North Korean Provocations' held at the National Assembly on the 8th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy reporters Yoo In-ho, Lee Hyun-joo, Kwon Hyun-ji] The ruling party, government, and the Presidential Office have agreed to further strengthen South Korea's 3-axis defense system in response to North Korea's successive provocations, while also focusing their efforts on enhancing mental resilience.

On the 8th, after a party-government meeting at the National Assembly, Kwon Seong-dong, floor leader of the People Power Party, told reporters, "There were various requests to prepare thoroughly for strengthening defense capabilities and security posture," adding, "There was discussion on how to cooperate with the international community to deter or contain nuclear missile launches, and while long-term economic sanctions and a blockade against North Korea will be necessary, we must prepare on our own as well."

Floor leader Kwon continued, "While strengthening defense weaponry is important, there was an opinion that enhancing mental resilience is even more crucial," explaining, "Experts have evaluated that the Ministry of National Defense's efforts to boost mental resilience over the past five years have been very insufficient, leading to a decline in mental strength." It is reported that the Ministry of National Defense is mobilizing personnel for related training targeting officers and is making large-scale preparations centered on the command headquarters.

The ruling party and government also view strengthening strategic materials as a way to suppress North Korea's missile production and have decided to actively consider this aspect. Strategic materials refer to military supplies necessary for training, indicating an intention to reinforce training for responding to North Korean provocations.

People Power Party floor leader Kwon Seong-dong and Foreign Minister Park Jin are attending the "Party-Government-National Assembly Consultative Meeting on National Security Review Related to North Korean Provocations" held at the National Assembly on the 8th, talking before the meeting begins. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

At the meeting, Shin In-ho, Second Deputy Director of the National Security Office, stated, "North Korea's nuclear and missile threats are gradually becoming more sophisticated," and added, "We will work to devise measures within the term to effectively neutralize North Korea's nuclear weapons and missiles, focusing on the 3-axis system."

Separately from the party-government meeting, Cho Hyun-dong, First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Wendy Sherman, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, and Mori Takeo, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan, held the 10th Korea-U.S.-Japan Deputy Foreign Ministers' Meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Seoul on the morning of the same day to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation on North Korea. In a joint press release after the meeting, the three deputy ministers strongly warned, "If North Korea conducts a 7th nuclear test, we will push for additional sanctions at the United Nations Security Council and other forums. North Korea should refrain from provocations." Relatedly, U.S. nuclear experts have analyzed that North Korea's 7th nuclear test is imminent. David Albright, president of the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS), said in an interview with Voice of America (VOA) on the same day, "North Korea's technical preparations can be considered complete, and only the transfer of nuclear test-related devices and equipment into the tunnel remains," adding, "This means they can conduct a nuclear test anytime if they decide to do so."

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