Yoon: "We Must Not Fear North Korea's Nuclear Threat... Will Surely Retaliate and Punish Any Provocation"

President Yoon Holds Emergency Meeting with Aides... "We Must Not Fear North Korea's Nuclear Capability"
Plans to Review Surveillance, Reconnaissance Interception Systems and Attack Missile Development

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] On the 28th, President Yoon Suk-yeol instructed to "surely retaliate and punish any provocation from North Korea."

On the same day, President Yoon presided over a meeting by calling the presidential secretariat and National Security Office staff to the Yongsan Presidential Office in the afternoon, and after saying this, Kim Eun-hye, the chief spokesperson, conveyed through an afternoon briefing that "this is the strongest means to deter provocations."

President Yoon particularly emphasized, "We must not be afraid or hesitate because North Korea has nuclear weapons."

President Yoon postponed the scheduled ceremony for the appointment of the Chairman of the National Balanced Development Committee and a luncheon to hold this meeting. On the 29th of this month, he plans to visit the Agency for Defense Development to inspect the surveillance, reconnaissance, and interception systems for flying objects such as drones and missiles, as well as the development status of offensive missiles.

Regarding the reason for failing to shoot down North Korean unmanned aerial vehicles, a senior official from the presidential office told reporters, "North Korea's medium and large drones can be detected by our radar and intercepted by missiles, but small drones cannot be detected by general radar. Interception was also difficult with anti-aircraft weapons and missiles," adding, "Therefore, there is a greater demand to expand future strategies such as electromagnetic waves and laser beams."

Regarding the internal calls for accountability within the military, the official said, "President Yoon's recent remarks emphasize that security, which protects the lives and safety of the people, can never be stressed enough," and "To this end, President Yoon will exercise all the authority he can as president."

The official also stated, "It was mentioned at the Cabinet meeting that we witnessed the risks of the North Korea policy that relied solely on North Korea's goodwill and military agreements," and "While the president emphasized the need for the military to establish a firmer readiness posture and discipline that the military can demonstrate, I will not elaborate further."

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