Posted on : Aug.19,2019 17:29 KST
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North Korea test launches two projectiles from Tongchon, Kangwon Province, on Aug. 16.
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On Aug. 16, North Korea launched two more short-range missiles and released a vituperative statement lambasting South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s Aug. 15 commemorative address, marking Korea’s Liberation Day. The North appears to have seized Moon’s address as an excuse to rehash its discontent with the South Korea-US joint military exercises.
The rule in human relations is that, no matter how irritating we may find someone, there are some things that should never be said. Employing overly harsh language in criticism and mockery bordering on outright slander not only runs counter to basic diplomatic courtesy but also provokes antipathy in the South Korean public, damaging inter-Korean relations.
North Korea’s recent missile launch was its sixth since July 25, with the previous launch occurring six days ago, on Aug. 10. While this launch might appear to be a backlash to an ongoing command post exercise by South Korea and the US, which runs from Aug. 11 to 20, the South Korean military has said this isn’t some large-scale field exercise rehearsing an invasion of the North but rather a defensive exercise aimed at smoothing the way for Seoul regaining wartime operational control, or OCPON, of its forces.
North Korea has also voiced grievances about South Korea’s recent publication of a mid-term defense plan that will increase military spending. But that plan is issued on a yearly base and reportedly takes into account the changing security environment in Northeast Asia. Also undeniable is the fact that, as long as the North Korean nuclear issue remains unresolved, South and North Korea haven’t built up enough military trust to immediately shelve their plans for defense spending. Yet North Korea is taking that as a pretext for another round of missile launches, which is likely to crank up pointless military tensions on the Korean Peninsula. North Korea needs to stop this immediately.
It’s extremely regrettable that North Korea resorted to such vulgar language in the statement by the spokesperson of its Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland. The statement’s primary target was Moon’s indirect criticism in his address of North Korea’s missile launch as a “worrying action” and a “provocation,” which the statement derided as “fit to make a boiled ox head burst into laughter.” After slamming Moon as a “a fellow of rare impudence” who “would shit his pants if he heard a shotgun go off in North Korea,” the statement wrapped up with the declaration that North Korea “doesn’t have any intention of sitting down again with the South Korean authorities.” It’s hard to believe that the crude, offensive language on display here represents the government’s official position.
The Blue House responded by speaking of the “importance of dialogue and cooperation” and urging North Korea to “ponder the significance of the Aug. 15 commemorative address, which said that, if North Korea has any cause for dissatisfaction, it should be raised and discussed at the negotiating table.”
When the future grows uncertain and challenges arise, it’s particularly important for people to work together to find the way forward. We hope that North Korea will cease these provocations, which destabilize the Korean Peninsula, and take part in dialogue.
Please direct comments or questions to [english@hani.co.kr]
Caption: North Korea test launches two projectiles from Tongchon, Kangwon Province, on Aug. 16. (Yonhap News)
