North Korea dismisses the second most powerful military official after leader Kim
Seoul and Washington are discussing nuclear maneuvers to counter Pyongyang's threats
Kim Jong Un during the ninth meeting of the Boy Scouts of Korea in Pyongyang.
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South Korean President Yoon Sok-yul said that his country is in talks with the United States about joint exercises that include US nuclear forces to counter North Korea's nuclear threats, while North Korea sacked the second most powerful military official after leader Kim Jong-un.
Yoon said in an interview with the Joseon Ilbo newspaper published yesterday that the idea of the United States providing a nuclear umbrella or an extended deterrence to South Korea is not enough to reassure public opinion.
The South Korean president's remarks come a day after North Korean state media announced that leader Kim Jong-un called for an accelerated increase in his country's nuclear arsenal, and ordered the development of new intercontinental ballistic missiles, describing South Korea as an "undoubted enemy."
South Korea's Yonhap news agency quoted Yoon as saying that to better respond to the North Korean nuclear threat, Seoul hopes to participate in the operations of the US nuclear forces.
However, Yoon did not rule out holding a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
He said that although there is no reason to reject the summit, these discussions should be done beforehand in order to come up with a useful outcome of the summit, and share it with the nation and neighboring countries.
He said, “We have to start dialogue on humanitarian issues, and open the door for communication and dialogue between the south and the north.
We have to set a direction by having a certain amount of discussion about the two countries' agendas.”
The newspaper quoted Yoon as saying that joint planning and exercises would aim to increase the effectiveness of the US "extended deterrence", and that Washington had shown "very welcome" to this idea.
The term "extended deterrence" means the ability of the US military, especially its nuclear forces, to deter any attacks against any US ally.
"We have nothing to announce today," a Pentagon spokesman said when asked about Yoon's comments, adding that the coalition remains "very strong."
South Korean officials said yesterday that the country's military plans to create a new department tasked with countering threats from North Korea's nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction.
South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported that the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff will hold a ceremony to mark the establishment of the Directorate for Combating Nuclear Weapons and Weapons of Mass Destruction, which it said will lay the groundwork for the envisioned launch of the "Strategic Command".
On the other hand, state media said that North Korea had sacked Pak Yong-chun, the second most powerful military official in the country after leader Kim Jong-un.
KCNA reported Sunday that Park, vice chairman of the ruling Workers' Party Central Military Commission and secretary of the party's Central Committee, was dismissed and replaced by Ri Yong Gil at the committee's annual meeting last week.
The agency did not mention the reason for the dismissal.
Television footage showed Pak sitting in the front row of the stage with his head down during the meeting, while other members raised their hands to vote on some issues.
His seat later appeared vacant.
The party's Central Military Commission, which Kim chairs, is the country's most powerful military decision-making body, with powers that surpass the Ministry of Defense.
Park quickly rose through the ranks from a one-star artillery captain in 2015 to a four-star general in 2020 thanks to his contributions to North Korea's advances in short-range missile technology.
Pak was promoted in late 2020 to the rank of Marshal, the highest military rank under leader Kim, and he became a staunch opponent of joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States in November last year.
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