South Korea Levels New Sanctions on North Korea
South Korea has slapped new sanctions on North Korea, just days after Pyongyang test-fired a hypersonic missile. The development comes amid increasing tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
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00:00 In his first speech of 2024, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un outlines his country's
00:07 ambitions. This time, the authoritarian leader is taking aim at neighboring South Korea,
00:14 naming it the North's primary enemy and warning that Pyongyang does not intend to avoid war.
00:20 "The biggest enemy of Korea is the special environment where our closest neighbors are
00:26 living. If we look at the reality of the region's instability, which is being exacerbated by
00:33 the military tension under the leadership of the Americans, the risk of war is now increasing
00:40 due to the expansion of physical conflict."
00:41 The Korean peninsula was split between the North and South at the end of World War II.
00:46 Despite signing a truce at the end of the Korean War, the two sides are technically
00:49 still at war, and the goal of unification has continued to fade.
00:54 North Korean President Yun Seok-kyo quickly denounced Kim's accusations, saying that these
00:58 claims ignore the peninsula's long and complex history.
01:02 "The North and South are not a class-based relationship, but a two-state relationship.
01:09 This is a sign that the North and South are a semi-ethnic and semi-historical group."
01:20 In recent years, North Korea has stepped up its weapons program, firing more than 36 missiles
01:25 in 2023. The most recent test, a new type of solid-fuel hypersonic missile, one that
01:32 can travel more than five times the speed of sound.
01:35 Analysts say that this weapon could help North Korea break through U.S. and South Korean
01:39 missile defense systems.
01:40 "North Korea's goal is to develop a hypersonic missile that is comparable to that of Russia
01:47 and South Korea. That is the only way to break through the missile defense system between
01:54 the two countries."
02:00 Eying increased threats from the North, allies like the U.S. and Japan have stepped up military
02:05 cooperation with South Korea, with more joint exercises expected later this year.
02:13 But the recent statements from leaders on both sides about a potential war are dimming
02:18 hopes for a peaceful resolution.
02:21 Analysts say this cycle of reactionary displays of force highlights South Korea's emphasis
02:25 on deterrence to prevent a conflict on the peninsula.
02:28 "South Korea, when they talk about unification, it isn't necessarily peaceful unification.
02:34 It is unification by absorption. And all of the moves that they've been making, especially
02:41 in the past couple of years, to increase and strengthen extended deterrence, is really
02:47 against North Korea."
02:53 Analysts fear that a heavier South Korean and U.S. military presence could trigger North
02:57 Korea to test a nuclear weapon, something it hasn't done since 2017.
03:02 And with Kim Jong-un warning of preparations for war, there are concerns that any attempts
03:06 to de-escalate the situation might come too late.
03:10 Joseph Woo, NAMI Okan, for Taiwan Plus.
03:12 (crowd cheering)