0
The 2022 Defense White Paper. / Photo courtesy of the Ministry of National Defense

The Ministry of National Defense made it clear on June 18 that rumors suggesting it would omit defining North Korea as an "enemy" in its upcoming Defense White Paper are entirely untrue.

Lee Kyung-ho, a deputy spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, clarified the position during a press briefing held at the ministry headquarters on the same day. "A certain media outlet reported that the ministry is considering a direction that would not define North Korea as an enemy in the Defense White Paper scheduled for publication this year," Lee said. "This is not true. Our stance that the North Korean regime and the North Korean military are our enemies remains unchanged."

The upcoming Defense White Paper is being published after a four-year hiatus, following the aftermath of the December 3 martial law incident. In the 2022 Defense White Paper, issued under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, the North Korean regime and its military were explicitly defined as "our enemy." Since then, speculation had arisen that the Defense Ministry might shift its perception of the adversary, aligning with the Lee Jae-myung administration's policy aimed at easing tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

"The Ministry of National Defense is currently reviewing the direction for drafting the Defense White Paper and is preparing the initial manuscript," Lee said. When a reporter asked, "Does that mean there will be no change in the concept of the adversary?" Lee firmly responded, "Yes." 

                                                                                                              Lee Han-sol