[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] There are claims that North Korea may carry out limited military provocations to create war fears before the general election.
On the 18th, Yoo Dong-yeol, director of the Liberty Democracy Institute, stated at the 'North Korea's Interference in the South Korean General Election' seminar held at the National Assembly Members' Office Building, "To prove that the fact that war breaks out if a certain party comes to power is not a lie, North Korea may conduct military demonstrations by crossing the land, sea, or air borders and then returning, or by testing short-range ballistic missiles."
Director Yoo added, "There is also a possibility that cyberterrorism could be carried out to create social chaos," and "Some predict that reckless military provocations by North Korea during the election period could backfire by rallying voters' latent security awareness, but North Korea seems confident that the so-called 'peace and stability yearning votes' arising from the threat of war fear will exceed the security consolidation votes caused by military provocations."
He further predicted that North Korea would frame the 21st presidential election not only as a traditional conflict between democratic and anti-democratic forces but also as a conflict between peace forces and war forces. Director Yoo said, "Typically, North Korea directly lists election struggle slogans through organizations like the Anti-Imperialist National Democratic Front about a month before the election, which is expected to be announced around mid-March," adding, "The possibility of announcing a so-called 'pro-American traitor list' (a list of candidates to be defeated) just before the general election cannot be ruled out." Additionally, he analyzed that North Korea would openly interfere in the 21st general election by maximizing the use of cyberspace for psychological warfare against the South and through multiple channels of its various departments involved in operations against South Korea.
To respond to this, he urged recalling the constitutional duties of the President and government of the Republic of Korea and calling for appropriate measures, as well as the normalization of public security agencies to track, monitor, and neutralize North Korea's election interference. Director Yoo stated, "North Korea's election interference is a highly malicious illegal act that unjustly interferes in the domestic affairs of the Republic of Korea and aims to create conditions for a socialist revolution, yet the free democratic camp and Korean society as a whole have not adequately responded to it so far," emphasizing, "We must strive to ensure that the 21st general election proceeds legally and fairly by devising and implementing various countermeasures."
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