Ruling Party Leadership Candidates Raise Voices Against North Korea's Missiles... Calls for 'Tactical Nuclear Redeployment' (Comprehensive)

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] As North Korea launched ballistic missiles south of the Northern Limit Line (NLL) for the first time since the division of the peninsula, ruling party candidates for the next party leadership have unanimously condemned North Korea's missile launch.

Former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min condemned the act on the 2nd through his social network service (SNS), stating, "For the first time since the division, they have provoked missile launches close to our territorial waters. North Korea's nuclear missile provocations create an urgent security situation where we do not know when they might target our territory and waters."

He said, "South Korea has long been held hostage by North Korea's nuclear missile threats," emphasizing, "Our national defense must mobilize all capabilities to block North Korea's nuclear attacks and protect the lives of our citizens."

He added, "Conventional weapons alone cannot stop North Korea's nuclear threat. We must secure a game changer by our own strength." This is interpreted as a call for the redeployment of tactical nuclear weapons. Former lawmaker Yoo also raised his voice on SNS on the 5th of last month, saying, "We must start negotiations with U.S. President Biden on nuclear sharing and tactical nuclear redeployment."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Yoon Sang-hyun, a former chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, also said, "During the national mourning period, North Korea, which has repeatedly spoken of our compatriots and southern fellow citizens, launched missiles toward us, which is tantamount to terrorizing a funeral and should be condemned as an anti-humanitarian act." He added, "North Korea's provocations, which had been glossed over with the term 'test launch,' have ultimately proven, as North Korea claims, that this was not a defensive measure but an invasion of the Republic of Korea."

He also criticized the Moon Jae-in administration's North Korea policy. Yoon said, "It is a complete failure of the Moon administration's North Korea policy," adding, "The unilateral courting of North Korea resulted in missile incursions across the NLL, and what remains is weakened national defense. The failure of the North Korea policy and the resulting security crisis must be thoroughly investigated and held accountable."

Kim Ki-hyun shared a news article about North Korea's missile launch on SNS and emphasized the need for 'basic military education for women.' He said, "In wartime situations such as North Korea's nuclear and missile provocations, training to develop survival skills such as first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and knowledge of shelter locations is urgently needed," stressing, "Basic military education for women is not optional but essential." He is the only party leadership candidate advocating for mandatory basic military education for women.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Assemblyman Cho Kyung-tae raised his voice, saying, "Why are you conducting war drills even when the entire nation is in mourning?" and "We condemn North Korea, which is engaging in atrocious war games even in this grave time."

He questioned North Korea, saying, "We want to ask North Korea: Are you really going to start a war on the Korean Peninsula? Do you really have no blood or tears?" and "Do you have any sense of shared ethnicity at all?"

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