North Korea Fires Missiles After Sending Condolences... Silent on President Yoon's Father's Death

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North Korea has shown no particular reaction to the news of the passing of Yoon Ki-jung, honorary professor at Yonsei University and father of President Yoon Suk-yeol. Previously, when former President Moon Jae-in's mother passed away, North Korea delivered a condolence message in the form of a letter from Chairman Kim Jong-un. However, since North Korea has launched missiles or conducted nuclear tests immediately after expressing condolences in the past, their condolences are generally regarded as difficult to interpret as 'pure mourning.'

According to related authorities on the 16th, as of the morning of that day, North Korean state media had made no mention of President Yoon's father's death the previous day. This is the second time a sitting president has lost a parent during their term; in the first case, former President Moon's mother's passing, Kim Jong-un personally sent a condolence letter. At that time, Kim Jong-un's letter was brought to Panmunjom by Kim Yo-jong, deputy director of the Workers' Party and Kim's 'younger sister.'

'Kim Jong-un's name' Condolence message delivered by First Deputy Director Kim Yo-jong [Photo by Yonhap News]

At that time, although inter-Korean relations were not very good due to the so-called 'Hanoi no deal,' the bond formed through three inter-Korean summits was considered to have extended to the condolences as well. However, since President Yoon has no direct acquaintance with Kim Jong-un and inter-Korean relations have become much colder compared to that time, the general view is that the possibility of North Korea expressing condolences is slim.

North Korea has mainly expressed condolences upon the deaths of South Korean figures with whom it had direct ties. Two days after former President Roh Moo-hyun passed away on May 25, 2009, the Korean Central News Agency released a condolence message in the name of Chairman Kim Jong-il, and in August of the same year, a condolence delegation was dispatched upon the death of former President Kim Dae-jung. Both presidents had established ties with Kim Jong-il as partners in summit talks.

North Korea's Kim Jong-un
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Even after inter-Korean relations deteriorated following the breakdown of the second North Korea-U.S. summit in Hanoi, when former President Kim Dae-jung's wife, Lee Hee-ho, passed away in June 2019, Kim Yo-jong personally delivered a condolence letter and floral tribute.

In contrast, no condolences were expressed upon the deaths of former Presidents Roh Tae-woo in 2021 and Kim Young-sam in 2015.

However, it is difficult to interpret North Korea's condolences as 'pure mourning.' For example, on October 31, 2019, just three hours after the Blue House announced that North Korea had sent a condolence message regarding former President Moon's mother's passing the previous day, North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs). Similarly, in 2009, four hours after announcing that a condolence message had been sent upon former President Roh's death, North Korea conducted its second nuclear test.

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