National Security Office Holds NSC Meeting to Prepare for North Korean Provocations Aligned with Yoon's Overseas Visits

NCS Standing Committee Meeting Held on the Morning of the 20th, Chaired by Director Cho Taeyong

On the morning of the 20th, the National Security Office held a Standing Committee meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) chaired by Cho Tae-yong, the Director of the National Security Office, to review the possibility of provocations and response measures in light of North Korea's preparations to launch a 'reconnaissance satellite' ahead of the President's state visits to the United Kingdom and France.

NSC standing committee members confirmed the government's comprehensive security readiness and decided to further strengthen the defense posture of our military to enable immediate response to any provocations by North Korea.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

In particular, the NSC standing committee members agreed to prepare for potential provocations by North Korea, such as the launch of a 'reconnaissance satellite' or medium- to long-range ballistic missiles, while promoting necessary measures through the ROK-US alliance, trilateral cooperation among the Republic of Korea, the United States, and Japan, and close collaboration with the international community. The National Security Office stated, "Through this, we will ensure that there is not a single gap in our security during the President's overseas trips."

Attending the NSC Standing Committee meeting were Cho Tae-yong, Director of the National Security Office; Park Jin, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Kim Young-ho, Minister of Unification; Shin Won-sik, Minister of National Defense; Kim Kyu-hyun, Director of the National Intelligence Service; Bang Ki-seon, Director of the Office for Government Policy Coordination; Kim Tae-hyo, Secretary General of the NSC Secretariat; and In Sung-hwan, Deputy Director of the National Security Office.

Earlier, Minister of National Defense Shin appeared on KBS's "Sunday Diagnosis" program the previous day and said, "North Korea might launch before Korea's first military reconnaissance satellite is launched from the U.S. Vandenberg Air Force Base by SpaceX's Falcon 9, either within a week or by November 30 at the latest." He added, "It is judged that North Korea has almost resolved the engine issues with help from Russia."