Hawkish response to the North is unavoidable

North Korea is ratcheting up tensions on the border after launching its first military reconnaissance satellite on Nov. 21. The photos released by our military authorities show the country has redeployed troops and military equipment at guard posts along the demilitarized zone. The North withdrew from 11 guard posts after the Sept. 19 military agreement in Pyongyang in 2018. But the North’s recent alarming moves were detected on the 11 guard posts it had dismantled at the end of 2018. That clearly violates the previous agreement aimed at preventing an armed clash in the heavily-guarded area within 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from each side of the DMZ.

North Korea wants to raise military tensions on the frontline after declaring a complete nullification of the military consensus five years ago. Pyonygang puts the blame on the South Korea-U.S. joint drills and the South’s resumption of reconnaissance activities on the frontline in reaction to the North’s launch of a military satellite last week. But Pyongyang’s accusation doesn’t make sense, as it was North Korea that steadfastly escalated tensions by secretly developing nuclear weapons and launching a military satellite.

In the inter-Korean summit at Panmunjom in April 2018, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un promised that he would not give South Koreans “sleepless nights.” But North Korea launched a military satellite last Tuesday after firing all types of missiles since its failed summit with the United States in 2019. If Kim Jong-un repeatedly breaks his own promise, it will only help deepen its isolation from the international community.

Our government must not surrender to North Korea’s possible provocation. It could be tempted to raise tensions — including by launching a surprise attack — out of its conviction that it has nothing to lose or that South Korea and the United States would not want a military clash to escalate to a full-fledged war. The two allies must augment deterrence by mobilizing all strategic assets to effectively deal with the North’s belligerence.

At the same time, our government must use all diplomatic channels available to stop the North from taking an extreme action. China is the only country that can pressure North Korea, though it does not welcome the closer ties among the South, the United States and Japan. Seoul must convince Beijing of the need to avert instability in the Korean Peninsula, as it goes against China’s interests. Seoul must not forget that the six-party talks in 2003 and the UN resolutions on international sanctions on North Korea were possible due to China’s engagement.