Risk Only Grown by Cheong... Worst Inter-Korean Relations if No Corresponding Measures from North Korea

North Korea's Atrocities Emerge as Political Focus, Controversy Over Cheong's Response... Momentum for Inter-Korean Relations Improvement Shaken, Korean Peninsula Clock at Zero

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Jeong-min] "The speech message of a political leader is an expression of will and conviction." This is the background explanation given by a key Blue House official on the afternoon of the 23rd regarding President Moon Jae-in's message on the Korean Peninsula end-of-war declaration. Although the declaration of the end of the war will not happen immediately, he added that they will approach it with patience and a mindset to prepare for tomorrow.

Considering President Moon's vision for the Korean Peninsula peace process, this explanation is not unusual at a typical time. The noteworthy part is the tense situation at the Blue House from the night of the 22nd to the early morning of the 23rd. On the 22nd at 10:30 p.m., the Blue House received intelligence that North Korean soldiers had shot and mutilated the body of our public official (affiliated with the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries).

From 1:00 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. on the 23rd, a meeting of related ministers was convened, attended by Chief of Staff to the President Noh Young-min, Director of the National Security Office Suh Hoon, Minister of Unification Lee In-young, Director of the National Intelligence Service Park Jie-won, and Minister of National Defense Suh Wook. President Moon's UN speech took place from 1:26 a.m. to 1:42 a.m. Korean time on the 23rd. Thus, President Moon's end-of-war declaration message was released amid the Blue House's urgent response.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

As a result, the end-of-war declaration became an empty echo. Not only is its feasibility questionable, but the timing of the statement was also inappropriate. A senior Blue House official said, "The UN speech was recorded on the 15th and sent to the UN on the 18th. Please do not link this incident with the President's UN speech." Although the public became aware of the incident in the early morning of the 23rd, the Blue House had recorded the President's video earlier on the 15th.

The Blue House maintains that it was not in a position to change the UN speech, but this ultimately increased political risk. The general public finds it difficult to understand the process surrounding President Moon's UN speech, but the keyword (end-of-war declaration) stands out.

This indicates that the Korean Peninsula peace process policy, which had been President Moon's icon, is now facing a critical turning point. Although there are indications of defection to the North, the incident in which our missing citizen was brutally shot and the body burned has spread public anger toward North Korea.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

At the time when the National Security Council (NSC) was convened at the Blue House and issues related to North Korean military atrocities were spreading rapidly, President Moon's visit to a Digital New Deal site to proclaim a "Content Renaissance" also became a subject of controversy. The message from President Moon expressing "deep regret over the shocking incident" through Blue House spokesperson Kang Min-seok came after the visit to the online performance venue.

While the Blue House can be seen as managing the situation with a cautious attitude, there are criticisms that such actions increase political burdens considering the sensitivity of the matter. One of the core issues is what the Blue House was doing while the missing public official was found at sea, shot by North Korean soldiers, and the body mutilated.

If North Korea does not issue an appropriate expression of regret or take measures, it implies that President Moon will find it difficult to raise his voice for improving inter-Korean relations for the time being. What was previously seen as normal conduct in ordinary circumstances will now inevitably be perceived by the public as sensitive actions.

President Moon urged, "The North Korean authorities must take responsible responses and measures," but it is doubtful whether North Korea will comply. Since the shooting incident of tourist Park Wang-ja at Mount Kumgang in July 2008, the Korean Peninsula is once again plunging into a vortex of confrontation and conflict.