Regular Briefing by Acting Spokesperson Cha Duck Chul
Date:
Monday, May 9, 2022
Time: 10:30-10:35 A.M.
1. Regarding North Korea’s ballistic missile test
North Korea tested a ballistic missile on May 4, followed by a
short-range ballistic missile presumed to have been launched from a
submarine on May 7.
Meanwhile, North Korea has not released any related reports
regarding these two missile test launches as of today.
Looking into past cases, North Korea usually disclosed the missile
launch through its state media the day after a major missile test.
However, there was a case that the North released the two missile
tests altogether in late-January without reporting immediately after
each test, and another case that they did not release any report at
all related to the missile test in mid-March.
There may be various speculations as to the background of the
North’s silence on reporting the test launch, however, at the current
moment, the Ministry will closely monitor the situation and conduct a
comprehensive analysis and evaluation with various possibilities in mind.
What is important is that the launch of a ballistic missile by North
Korea is a clear violation of UN Security Council resolutions and is
contrary to the international community's demands for peace and stability.
The Government strongly condemns North Korea's actions, and
repeatedly urges North Korea to immediately stop all actions that
escalate tensions on the Korean Peninsula, in the region and in the
international community, and to return to the table of dialogue and
negotiations at the earliest possible date.
2. Weekly Schedule
Celebrating the 2nd anniversary of the Inter-Korean Cultural
Integration Center on Friday May 13, the Ministry is promoting
inter-Korean integration through cultural events from May 9 to 14.
Various performances and programs will be held for local residents
and North Korean defectors to broaden mutual understanding and provide
opportunities to experience peace and unification.
With the start of the event, the Inter-Korean Cultural Integration
Center plans to lift some restrictions on facility use due to Covid-19
and fully open it to the public.
We look forward to the interest and participation of many at the event.
3. Q&A
Q. Tomorrow President Moon Jae-in is leaving the office. What would
be the evaluation of the North Korea policy and inter-Korean relations
of the Moon administration?
A. Through the agreements by the leaders, South and North Korea
agreed on a common goal of realizing complete denuclearization of the
Korean Peninsula and a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula, and agreed to
pursue complete denuclearization and lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula.
In the meantime, the Government has made consistent efforts to
achieve complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, the
establishment of lasting peace, and the development of inter-Korean
relations through dialogue and cooperation while respecting the
existing agreements.
Q. First of all, in regards to the US mentioning the possibility
of North Korea’s 7th nuclear test in the middle of this month, are
there any developments related to the North’s nuclear test that the
Ministry is aware of?
Second, there was a report that
North Korea operated facilities without permission in relation to the
fire that occurred at the Gaeseong Industrial Complex(GIC). Can the
Ministry confirm this report?
A. With regard to the first question, the ROK and US intelligence
authorities are in close cooperation to thoroughly monitor and track
situations in North Korea's major facilities and regions, including
preparations for nuclear tests in Punggye-ri. The Government is
maintaining a firm readiness posture for all possibilities based on
close ROK-U.S. cooperation. However, the Ministry does not have any
additional information on further details.
North
Korea's nuclear-related activities are in clear violation of UN
Security Council resolutions and pose serious threats to the Korean
Peninsula and the international community. The Government repeatedly
urges North Korea to immediately stop all related activities and come
to the table for dialogue and negotiations.
Regarding the second question, the Government has been closely
monitoring North Korea's situation through various channels, and has
recently caught unknown vehicle movements in the Gaeseong Industrial
District. On April 26, last month, the Government requested the North
to confirm the relevant information through the South-North Joint
Liaison Office, but the North has yet to provide a specific response.
The Government is in the position that all issues related to the
Gaeseong Industrial District should be resolved through inter-Korean
consultations, and plans to review countermeasures while closely
sharing the related matters with the GIC tenant companies.