By Kang Seung-woo
President Park Geun-hye ordered the military Thursday to maintain a solid defense posture to deter possible provocations from North Korea ― particularly cyber terrorism ― amid growing security uncertainties on the Korean Peninsula.
Park presided over a security meeting with top government officials, including the prime minister, Cabinet members, mayors and governors at Cheong Wa Dae.
“Alleged North Korean cyber assaults hit us and the United States last year and this year,” said Park.
“Along with the North's traditional military threats, it is employing new yet obscure provocative measures to cause social conflict and turmoil. Its threats remain unchanged, with it increasingly playing various cards."
She also said a strong national defense and security are the most important foundations to usher in an era of Korean unification.
“Setting sights on building up the basis for peaceful unification, the government has made efforts so far to improve relations with North Korea. But the North has not given up its ’byungjin’ line, while continuously advancing development of nuclear weapons and long-range ballistic missiles.”
“Byungjin” means the simultaneous pursuit of economic development and nuclear weapons capability.
She also blamed the reclusive state for its silence on the South’s proposal to break the deadlock with talks.
In late December, the Presidential Committee for Unification Preparation made a proposal for high-level talks between the two nations. But the North has remained silent. In addition, President Park also said last month that she is open to unconditional dialogue with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
However, the North Korean regime has come up with preconditions to hold an inter-Korean meeting ― to halt scheduled joint military exercises with the United States and prevent anti-North Korea leaflet distributions by North Korean defectors.
“The government made a proposal for unconditional talks early this year, but the North has set preconditions for talks and attempted to intimidate us with possible provocative actions,” she said.
“The North has put more uncertainty into the situation due to its alleged hacking of Sony Pictures Entertainment amid growing international pressure on the North’s human rights abuses.”
Her remarks came days after the reclusive state ramped up its belligerent rhetoric against the U.S. in response to U.S. President Barack Obama’s recent reference to the eventual collapse of the North Korean regime. There are also concerns over North Korean military provocations ahead of next month’s joint military exercises that Pyongyang refers to as a rehearsal for invasion.
Citing intensifying terrorist attacks by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), Park expressed concerns that threats to national security are diversifying beyond the North’s nuclear weapons and missile programs.
“Indiscriminate terror and killing of innocent people are beyond the alarming level and we should maintain watertight security readiness against a new form of non-military and transnational threats such as cyber terrorism, epidemics and natural disasters,” said the President.
Park presided over the pan-government defense meeting for the second straight year, which is rare, given that her predecessors held the meetings once or twice during their administrative terms.
“This means that Park recognizes the importance of pan-government efforts to brace for any possible threats to national security,” said a Cheong Wa Dae official.