[사설]The Ministry of Defense says that North Korea is not an’enemy’ and Japan is not a’partner’

In the ‘2020 Defense White Paper’ released by the Ministry of National Defense yesterday, the topic that was described as’the hereditary succession’ two years ago in relation to the North Korean regime was changed to’Kim Jong-un takes office of the State Council’. When it comes to Japan, which was said to be’closer neighbors and partners’, he only said’neighbor countries’. Like the ‘2018 Defense White Paper’, this white paper did not define North Korea as an’enemy’, but stated, “Our military regards forces that threaten and infringe on the national property of the sovereign territory of the Republic of Korea as our enemies.”

This white paper is the second time since the Moon Jae-in administration has been newly published in two years, but it is the keynote of the ‘2018 Defense White Paper’ published in early 2019. There is no change in the situation on the Korean peninsula and the security reality that has fluctuated over the past two years. At that time, the atmosphere of dialogue between the two Koreas and the North and the United States was heightened. However, after the breakdown in Hanoi, North Korea turned inter-Korean relations back into tension and confrontation through successive provocations and threats. Nevertheless, the military’s perception still seems to have stopped on the’spring day of the Korean peninsula’.

The white paper virtually neglected the deterioration of the security environment by not evaluating the nuclear capabilities that North Korea has strengthened so far. While evaluating the increase in conventional threats such as missile sophistication and special operations forces, the nuclear capability remained the same two years ago. Even in the dialogue phase, overseas information evaluations that North Korea has increased its high-enriched uranium (HEU) reserves to hundreds of kilograms and achieved miniaturization of nuclear warheads were followed, but the white paper said that it was only a “significant amount” or a “significant level”. With this evaluation of the North Korean nuclear threat, there is no change in the perception of North Korea’s reality. North Korea declared a’anti-competitive project’ to the South and designated the United States as a’main enemy’. Nevertheless, to our military, North Korea is not an enemy, but a partner to cooperate with or an object to manage. It seems that it is not much different from Japan, which has been downgraded from’companion’ to’neighbor country’. The military is the last resort to support the government’s foreign policy. The basis is strength and will, and the driving force comes from accurately reading and preparing for the threatened opponent’s capabilities and intentions. It is questionable whether the military will be able to properly play the role of the last bastion in the face of confusing opponents and priorities.