[정치]The government is also responding to North Korea’s all-out provocation… The tension must be managed

[앵커]

While North Korea is provoking all-round provocations under the guise of joint ROK-US military exercises, the South Korean military is also implementing a response strategy to counter it, increasing the tension between the two Koreas.

Experts said these provocations reflected the nervous situation inside North Korea and advised managing tensions to avoid accidental clashes.

This is reporter Shin Hyun-joon’s report.

[기자]

North Korea’s provocation began in earnest in late September when it was preparing for joint South Korea-US training.

More than 50 missiles, including ICBMs, were launched and various assets were mobilised, including artillery fire and fighter jets.

Experts interpreted North Korea’s provocations 18 times in a month and a half as highly unusual and belying the impatience within North Korea.

[차두현 / 아산정책연구원 수석연구위원 : 북한을 핵 보유국으로 인정을 해달라. 그 다음에 나의 재래 및 핵 관련 무력이 이 정도다 하는 것을 시위하는 효과도 있지만 보면 좀 쥐어짠다는 느낌이 들어요.]

Our military has also responded by firing missiles or returning fire in proportion to North Korea’s provocations.

The only concern is accidental armed conflict.

It underlines that the North and South should continue to offer high-level dialogue while managing tensions, as the crisis could worsen if the two Koreas continue to respond head-to-head in the absence of dialogue.

North Korea’s seventh nuclear test is also a variable.

Experts predicted that North Korea would use its nuclear card at the decisive moment as it has already accumulated all the data needed for nuclear armament from six nuclear tests.

[조한범 / 통일연구원 선임연구위원 : 북한으로서는 오히려 핵실험을 즐기고 있죠. 지금 카드 만지작거려도 화들짝 놀라거든요. 미국은 북한 문제가 악화하는 걸 원하지 않거든요, 지금 해결할 수 없는 상황에서.]

The talks and negotiations between North Korea and the United States are also a long way off.

The current Biden administration’s policy towards North Korea is to meet unconditionally, and North Korea is still running parallel by first demanding the withdrawal of its hostile policy towards North Korea.

This is YTN Shin Hyeon-jun.

YTN Shin Hyeon-jun ([email protected])

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