‘We must pursue peace through overwhelming preparation,’ Yoon says

On Thursday, President Yoon Suk Yeol said that South Korea must protect the peace by overpowering war capabilities and ordered the military to be always prepared for the war, in a strong response to the North Korean drone provocation.

On his visit to the Agency for Defense Development in Daejeon on Thursday, President Yoon said that “North Korean drone infiltration into our airspace is absolutely intolerable,” and that the South Korean military must make sure that “provocations come with harsh costs.” President Yoon inspected the military’s weapons development status, including military surveillance, reconnaissance, and interception systems against North Korea’s drone threats.

President Yoon’s remarks were rebutted immediately by the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea. Rep. Park Hong-geun, floor leader of the DP, criticized President Yoon for making a hard-line comment that is fueling the anxiety of the Korean people by calling for full preparation for war and mentioning the possibility of making a preemptive strike.


Joo-Young Jeon aimhigh@donga.com · Seong-Ho Hwang hsh0330@donga.com