By Jun Ji-hye
Moon Jae-in, a leading opposition presidential hopeful, said the Kim Jong-un regime in North Korea will have no future should it stick to nuclear and missile development.
"North Korea's provocative and aggressive attitude, which was seen in Kim's New Year's message, poses a serious threat to peace on the Korean Peninsula," said Moon, the former chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), in a statement Monday. "Kim created a state of anxiety and tension on the peninsula after even mentioning pre-emptive nuclear strikes."
The comments came after the North Korean leader said Sunday that Pyongyang is in the final stage of test-firing an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of carrying nuclear warheads. The North's KN-08 road-mobile ICBM with a range of more than 10,000 kilometers is capable, in theory, of hitting targets on the U.S. mainland.
Kim also said Pyongyang will beef up its capability for pre-emptive nuclear strikes if South Korea and the United States do not suspend their annual joint military exercises.
"I once again issue a warning. The North will not be able to develop its economy and nuclear weapons at the same time," Moon said. "The only way the North can survive is abandoning its nuclear and missile ambitions and complying with all agreements it has made with South Korea and the international community."
Moon also said the year 2017 is a great watershed moment to decide on whether or not the two Koreas will be able to achieve peace.
"Our people will never accept North Korea engaging in inappropriate behavior amid a power transition in South Korea," he said.
Moon's remarks came after possible conservative presidential candidates attacked his views on national security, apparently mindful that North Korea is expected to be a key issue in the presidential campaign.
Rep. Yoo Seong-min of the newly created New Conservative Party for Reform recently called on Moon to speak clearly about issues related to inter-Korean affairs, such as the deployment of a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery, claiming that "Many people think Moon has a wavering view of national security."
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| Moon Jae-in |
"North Korea's provocative and aggressive attitude, which was seen in Kim's New Year's message, poses a serious threat to peace on the Korean Peninsula," said Moon, the former chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), in a statement Monday. "Kim created a state of anxiety and tension on the peninsula after even mentioning pre-emptive nuclear strikes."
The comments came after the North Korean leader said Sunday that Pyongyang is in the final stage of test-firing an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of carrying nuclear warheads. The North's KN-08 road-mobile ICBM with a range of more than 10,000 kilometers is capable, in theory, of hitting targets on the U.S. mainland.
Kim also said Pyongyang will beef up its capability for pre-emptive nuclear strikes if South Korea and the United States do not suspend their annual joint military exercises.
"I once again issue a warning. The North will not be able to develop its economy and nuclear weapons at the same time," Moon said. "The only way the North can survive is abandoning its nuclear and missile ambitions and complying with all agreements it has made with South Korea and the international community."
Moon also said the year 2017 is a great watershed moment to decide on whether or not the two Koreas will be able to achieve peace.
"Our people will never accept North Korea engaging in inappropriate behavior amid a power transition in South Korea," he said.
Moon's remarks came after possible conservative presidential candidates attacked his views on national security, apparently mindful that North Korea is expected to be a key issue in the presidential campaign.
Rep. Yoo Seong-min of the newly created New Conservative Party for Reform recently called on Moon to speak clearly about issues related to inter-Korean affairs, such as the deployment of a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery, claiming that "Many people think Moon has a wavering view of national security."
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