ED North Korea's dangerous show of force
This TV footage captured from the North's Korean Central News Agency shows a solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the U.S. Yonhap
President Lee shouldn't repeat Moon's ineffective policy
North Korea unveiled new weapons of mass destruction at a military parade held Friday, including a solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of reaching the United States, along with a hypersonic missile.
The ICBM, named Hwasong-20, is an upgraded version of the Hwasong series reportedly capable of carrying multiple nuclear warheads.
The parade, held at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang to mark the 80th anniversary of the founding of the North’s ruling Workers’ Party, underscored the continued sophistication of the regime’s weapons program.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was seen applauding as the new ICBM passed by. Notably, Chinese Premier Li Qiang and former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, also attended the event. This created a powerful visual signal of strengthening ties among the three autocratic regimes.
Kim standing shoulder to shoulder with top representatives from China and Russia shows that the trilateral partnership among China, Russia and North Korea is not a one-off diplomatic gesture. It highlights a dangerous and evolving tripartite alliance that is growing more cohesive in both political and military terms.
North Korea's growing weapons capabilities pose a direct and immediate threat to South Korea. Meanwhile, the North's deepening cooperation with China and Russia — two of the world's top three military powers — raises serious concerns. If Moscow and Beijing are willing to share advanced military technologies with Pyongyang, the strategic balance in East Asia, including the Korean Peninsula, could shift in dangerous ways.
Despite these alarming developments, South Korea's Lee Jae Myung administration appears to be underplaying the security implications. A presidential official referred to the military parade as “a domestic event,” a remark that seems either naively optimistic or deliberately dismissive.
This downplaying does not likely stem from a lack of understanding. More plausibly, it reflects Lee's longstanding political posture — one that favors engagement with the North and seeks to avoid provoking Pyongyang.
Lee has consistently pursued a conciliatory policy toward North Korea. Since announcing his candidacy for the presidential election in 2022, he has emphasized the importance of dialogue and peaceful coexistence of the two Koreas. He has rejected former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s “peace through strength” strategy, which emphasized bolstering South Korea's military deterrent.
Lee's approach is rooted in the belief that “it’s better to win without war.” Ideally, he envisions a future where the two Koreas no longer engage in hostilities, and peace emerges organically.
While that vision is noble, it is increasingly detached from current geopolitical realities.
The world is now starkly divided into two blocs: democracies led by countries like South Korea, the U.S. and Japan on one side, and autocracies like North Korea, China and Russia on the other. This division is deepening, not easing — making Lee’s vision less feasible with each passing year.
For Lee's peace efforts to succeed, the two Koreas must be willing to talk in good faith. North Korea’s record shows little to no interest in such dialogue. Kim has been clear: The North will not abandon its nuclear weapons as he believes they protect him and his country from foreign invasion. During Friday’s parade, he urged his military to continue modernizing its capabilities until it becomes "unrivaled."
At this point, it is worth questioning the value of South Korea’s continued outreach to the North. What’s the point of offering peace when the other side repeatedly ignores it?
Worse, a policy of patience and goodwill could be exploited by the North to buy time — time that could be used to further enhance its nuclear and missile programs, increasing the threat to the South.
South Korea should learn from the mistakes of former President Moon Jae-in, who strove in vain to act as a peace broker between the U.S. and North Korea. His efforts ultimately failed, and Kim Jong-un made his disdain for Moon’s mediation efforts clear — even referring to them as bothersome in a letter to U.S. President Donald Trump.
Lee would be wise to reflect deeply on whether he is following in Moon’s footsteps — and whether that path is setting South Korea up for another diplomatic failure while North Korea grows more dangerous by the day.