與, Launch of Special Committee on North Korea Nuclear Response... Jeong Jin-seok "North Korea is a Copy of Russia's Madman's Strategy"

Will Support for Differentiated North Korea Policy Recover?
North Korea Nuclear Response: "Strengthening ROK-US Military Alliance"
Han Ki-ho, Former Three-Star General, Appointed as Chairman

Jeong Jin-seok, Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, is attending the Emergency Response Committee meeting held at the National Assembly on the 17th and delivering an opening remark. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporters Hyunju Lee and Hyunji Kwon] The People Power Party recently launched a Special Committee for North Korean Nuclear Crisis Response within the party on the 17th to actively respond to provocations such as North Korea's missile launches. This move aims to highlight security issues and differentiate its North Korea policy from that of the Moon Jae-in administration in order to regain public support.

At the emergency committee meeting that day, Jeong Jin-seok, the emergency committee chairman of the People Power Party, explained the reason for establishing the special committee by stating, "North Korea is easily provoked by even small incidents, maximizing the fear that it could use nuclear weapons at any time," and "It has clearly stated that the joint target of its miniaturized and lightweight tactical nuclear weapons is South Korea's aircraft and airports."

Chairman Jeong pointed out, "This is a copy of the mad strategy of Russia, which has declared the use of nuclear weapons in the Ukraine war." He continued, "When the Soviet Union collapsed, Ukraine was the world's third-largest nuclear power," and "(However) trusting the security assurances provided by the United States and the United Kingdom, it completely abandoned nuclear weapons. Although Ukraine signed the Budapest Memorandum with the US and UK in 1994, when Russia occupied Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014, the US and UK only watched," he criticized. He added, "Even now, despite Putin's nuclear threats, neither the US, UK, nor NATO has explicitly promised nuclear retaliation," and "Even if Putin actually uses tactical nuclear weapons, the US and NATO will not retaliate with nuclear weapons."

Applying this to South Korea's situation, Chairman Jeong questioned, "If Kim Jong-un uses tactical nuclear weapons on the Korean Peninsula, would the US risk a nuclear counterattack on North Korea despite North Korea's nuclear attacks on Guam and Okinawa?" He emphasized, "I believe there is only one countermeasure: we must firmly strengthen the South Korea-US military alliance."

He said, "We must strengthen the solidarity of the liberal alliance," and "If North Korea carries out armed provocations, we must immediately demonstrate the collapse of the Kim Jong-un regime by force." Quoting former President Park Chung-hee's remark about North Korea's past 'axe massacre' that "a mad dog needs a club," he stated, "The People Power Party will closely cooperate to ensure that our government and military maintain a flawless readiness against North Korean provocations and firmly uphold the South Korea-US military cooperation system."

Jeong Jin-seok, Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, attended the Emergency Response Committee meeting held at the National Assembly on the 17th. Before the meeting started, he appointed Assemblyman Han Ki-ho as the Chairman of the Special Committee for North Korean Nuclear Crisis Response and presented him with the appointment letter. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

The chairman is Assemblyman Han Ki-ho, a former three-star general who served as secretary-general during former leader Lee Jun-seok's tenure. At the meeting, Assemblyman Han said, "The nuclear threat is becoming a real and visible issue," and "We will become the core of party-government cooperation for measures to protect the people."

Meanwhile, the military authorities have begun the 'Defense Training' assuming threats from North Korean nuclear weapons and missiles. Given North Korea's recent indiscriminate provocations, including violations of the September 19 military agreement, there is a high possibility of additional provocations under the pretext of this training, so the military has strengthened surveillance and readiness against North Korea. The Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps will conduct various outdoor maneuver exercises in the front and rear areas from today until the 28th. In particular, this year's Defense Training will conduct practical day and night live equipment maneuver exercises assuming various threats such as North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, thereby honing the ability to perform missions in both wartime and peacetime.

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