Yoon calls for strengthening readiness against N. Korea’s ‘gray zone’ provocations

Aug 20, 2024, 09:27 am

AsiaToday reporter Chun Hyun-bin

President Yoon Suk-yeol called for strengthening readiness against North Korea’s “gray zone” provocations, as South Korea and the United States kicked off their annual joint exercise on Monday.

“We must strengthen our readiness to respond to North Korea’s gray zone provocations, such as the spread of false information, fake news and cyberattacks,” Yoon said during the 36th Cabinet meeting on the South Korea-U.S. joint military exercise Ulchi Freedom Exercise (UFE) held at the presidential office in Seoul. “Anti-state forces threatening the country’s liberal democracy are active everywhere in society,” he said.

Yoon warned that the North might mobilize those anti-state forces from the early stage to increase national confusion and divide the people through violence, public opinion manipulation, and propaganda activities. “We need to actively seek ways to block division and raise people’s resolve to resist,” he said.

Yoon stressed that internal forces threatening liberal democracy as anti-state forces, and ordered the establishment of a firm defense posture against the North. “Social infrastructure, such as transportation, communications, electricity, and water supply, as well as key national facilities, including nuclear power plants, must maintain their functions even in wartime,” the president said, urging the government to prepare thorough measures to protect these facilities and strengthen response training.

“As seen in the Ukraine war and conflicts in the Middle East, war can take place at any time,” Yoon said, adding that wars are now conducted in a hybrid form, combining military threats, psychological warfare and cyberattacks.

“We plan to significantly expand the South Korea-U.S. joint field training exercises,” he said. “This will be an opportunity to enhance our joint operational capabilities and demonstrate the might of the South Korea-U.S. alliance.”

“The freedom and prosperity that South Korea enjoys today were not obtained for free,” Yoon said. “Only a strong security posture can protect the safety of the people and liberal democracy.”

#Yoon Suk-yeol #Ulchi Freedom Exercise #North Korea