South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol calls on international community to support 'unification efforts'

As legislative elections approach in South Korea, and while Pyongyang has described Seoul as its "

 main enemy 

", the South Korean president raised the subject of the unification of the Korean peninsula and called for international support. 

Tổng thống Hàn Quốc Yoon Suk Yeol.

Ảnh ngày 01/01/2024.

AP

By: RFI with AFP

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The South Korean president, who has until now maintained a firm stance against Pyongyang, has rarely broached the subject of unification since taking office in 2022. This is what he did, however, during a ceremony marking the anniversary of the 1919 Korean uprising against Japanese colonial rule.

“

We must come together on a path that will ultimately lead to the unification

” of the Korean Peninsula, he said, stressing that the international community “

must join forces responsibly

.”

“

Our unification efforts must become a source of hope and a beacon for the North Korean people

,” said the South Korean president.

Also read: North Korea: Pyongyang makes Seoul its number one enemy

Relations between the two Koreas are not improving

North Korea has recently increased its cruise missile tests and live-fire exercises near the border.

In December 2023, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said he would no longer seek reconciliation and reunification with the South, accusing Seoul and Washington of provoking an "

uncontrollable crisis

 ."

He also shut down agencies responsible for promoting reunification and described South Korea as his "

main enemy

" and threatened war over any violation, even minimal, of its territory.

Seoul, for its part, is intensifying its military cooperation with Washington and Tokyo.

Yoon Suk-yeol also believes that strengthening ties with Tokyo helps counter the ever-increasing military threat from North Korea.

During the ceremony, he emphasized strengthening security cooperation between the two countries against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, adding that the two countries were "

working together to overcome the painful past

."

Also listen: North Korea: a worrying drift

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