Ministry of Unification: "North Korea is Anti-National and Anti-Historical... Will Respond with Overwhelming Force if Provoked"

Government Issues Statement on North Korea's Successive Provocations
"North Korea Gains Nothing from Nuclear and Missile Actions"

President Yoon Suk-yeol is delivering opening remarks at the Cabinet meeting held on the 16th at the Yongsan Presidential Office Building in Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

The Ministry of Unification recently described North Korea's threatening actions as "anti-national and anti-historical behavior," emphasizing that "any provocation will be met with overwhelming force."

In a statement on the 16th, the Ministry explained, "Since the end of last year, including Kim Jong-un's policy speech at the Supreme People's Assembly on January 15, North Korea has been emphasizing a 'hostile two-state relationship' while continuously threatening and provoking South Korea."

It assessed that these moves by North Korea are political provocations aimed at dividing our society, stating, "Ultimately, their goal remains the same as before: unification under communist rule through military force."

Regarding North Korea's so-called 'two-state theory,' the Ministry pointed out, "It denies the long shared history as one Korean people and is an anti-national and anti-historical act that threatens the same nation with nuclear weapons."

It further declared that it will respond strongly and decisively to North Korea's attempts to distort inter-Korean relations and aggressively provoke military provocations in a brazen manner.

The Ministry of Unification stated, "In the event of North Korean provocations, we will respond and retaliate with firm readiness and overwhelming capabilities," emphasizing, "North Korea must clearly realize that it can gain nothing in terms of security, economy, or regime survival through nuclear weapons and missiles."

However, it explained that it is the North Korean regime, not the North Korean people, that continues to threaten us by advancing nuclear and missile capabilities, and pledged to work toward resolving North Korean human rights issues.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Ministry of Unification said, "The government will continue to work with the international community so that North Korean residents can enjoy freedom, human rights, and prosperity as the same people," adding, "'North Korean Defectors Day' will be established, and interest and support for North Korean defectors will be expanded."

Earlier, North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un expressed the position that the constitution should explicitly regard the Republic of Korea as the primary hostile country and include provisions to completely occupy, pacify, and recover South Korea in the event of war.

According to the Korean Central News Agency, in his policy speech at the Supreme People's Assembly held in Pyongyang the previous day, Chairman Kim said, "If the Republic of Korea infringes upon even 0.001 mm of our territory, airspace, or territorial waters, it will be regarded as an act of war provocation," adding, "If the enemies even spark the flames of war, the Republic will resolutely punish them by mobilizing all military forces at its disposal, including nuclear weapons."