Yoon Suk-yeol says South Korea will no longer ‘appease’ North, but are Seoul’s policies and China affecting future talks?

Yoon Suk-yeol said Seoul will no longer ‘appease’ the North, and any talks must be initiated by Pyongyang, as analysts warn rising tensions could spark new war

Yoon also said his predecessor Moon Jae-in’s soft stance on North Korea turned out to be a ‘failure’ because it failed to rein in Pyongyang’s nuclear build-up

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South Korea’s new President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during Presidential inaugural reception in Seoul, South Korea on May 10. Photo: Reuters

Published: 12:54pm, 31 May 2022Updated: 2:40pm, 7 Jun 2022

South Korea’s new president was talking tough on North Korea in his first international sit-down interview since taking office on May 10, but for all of Yoon Suk-yeol’s bravado, his conservative government’s policy may keep the situation on the Korean peninsula in a “deadlock”.

Yoon Suk-yeol told CNN last week “appeasement” toward North Korea is over and any talks must be initiated by Pyongyang, as some analysts warn rising tensions could spark a new war on the Korean peninsula.

“I think the ball is in Chairman Kim’s court – it is his choice to start a dialogue with us,” Yoon said, referring to the North’s leader, Kim Jong-un.

Political Science Professor Andrei Lankov of the Kookmin University said South Korea’s conservative governments have been making the same demand since 2008 that the North should abandon nuclear programmes first before being rewarded.

“Of course, the North has no intention to move first and give up nukes, therefore, this conservatives’ policy line results in a deadlock,” he said.