Korean Peninsula A to Z ㅣ KBS WORLD Radio

The Korean War,
and a Panorama of 70 Years

At 4 a.m. on Sunday, June 25, 1950, North Korea launched a surprise attack against South Korea to ignite the Korean War, a tragic fratricidal conflict.
70 years have passed since then.
The sound of gunfire and cries of victims stopped long ago, but the pain of national division still remains.
While South and North Korea have feuded and clashed with each other occasionally, they have never given up hope for a peaceful, unified Korea.
Let’s look back on the paths the two Koreas have walked over the past seven decades.

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Main News Pres. Yoon: Peace Dependent on Good Will is an Illusion President Yoon Suk Yeol says human history shows that peace that depends on the good will of the other party is merely a dream and illusion. In an address to the full session of the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council in Ilsan, northwest of Seoul, on Tuesday, the president said true peace is established by overwhelming and powerful force and a resolute determination to use that force at any time to defend oneself. The remarks are believed to convey that the 2018 inter-Korean military deal exists in name only as North Korea is increasing threats against South Korea’s security, including launching a military reconnaissance satellite and restoring frontline guard posts inside the Demilitarized Zone. The president said the North’s missiles and nuclear weapons are a means for the reclusive state to rally forces that safeguard the regime, adding the reason Pyongyang cannot scrap its nukes is because it believes such a move would fundamentally endanger the North’s dictatorship. Yoon said the North’s regime is aiming to offset South Korea’s modernized non-nuclear military force with its nuclear weapons and missiles while breaking up South Korea’s alliances and cooperation with other countries by threatening to use nuclear power, noting that such efforts are absurd. 2023-11-28

Main News N. Korean Soldiers in Joint Security Area Seen with Firearms North Korean soldiers in the Joint Security Area(JSA) at the truce village of Panmunjom have been seen carrying pistols. According to multiple South Korean and U.S. military sources, the North’s personnel within the JSA have been armed while standing duty since late last week, while South Korean soldiers remain on guard without firearms. The United Nations Command, which has jurisdiction over the JSA, said it is closely watching the North Korean military’s movements and considering countermeasures. The latest move coincides with the regime’s decision to restore frontline guard posts that were destroyed in accordance with the September 19 inter-Korean military agreement. Pyongyang has implemented numerous policy changes after completely scrapping the September 19 agreement a day after South Korea partially suspended part of the accord in response to the regime’s launch of its military reconnaissance satellite. 2023-11-28

Main News Ex-US Official: Fatal Provocation by N. Korea May Come Next Year A former U.S. official believes that North Korea could conduct a fatal provocation against South Korea next year in a bid to undermine the Yoon Suk Yeol government’s policy on the North. Speaking to Radio Free Asia(RFA) on Monday, Sydney Seiler, former National Intelligence Officer for North Korea at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, said a deadly provocation could aim to diminish the South Korean public's confidence in the U.S.’ extended deterrence. As for the now-scrapped 2018 inter-Korean military agreement, Seiler said the deal has not contributed to easing cross-border tensions, citing the North's repeated artillery attacks and continued nuclear development. The expert also characterized the regime’s move to restore frontline guard posts after terminating the 2018 deal as symbolic, attributing the instability on the Korean Peninsula more to Pyongyang’s nuclear arms development. Former acting U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Rob Rapson, on the other hand, told RFA that the guard post rebuild has helped the Demilitarized Zone regain the status as one of the world's most dangerous places. 2023-11-28

Main News US: N. Korea's Actions in DMZ Raise Risk of Tension, Miscalculation The U.S. State Department has criticized North Korea’s restoration of guard posts and transfer of weapons inside the Demilitarized Zone(DMZ) as actions that increase the risk of military tensions and miscalculations on the Korean Peninsula. A spokesperson for the department issued the position in response to an inquiry by Yonhap News on Monday, saying that the United States remains in close and continual contact with South Korea through multiple channels to ensure that the alliance remains in lockstep. The spokesperson stressed that the U.S. supports efforts to manage and reduce military tensions on the Korean Peninsula and around the world through military coordination, transparency, and risk reduction measures, reaffirming that Washington’s commitment to the defense of South Korea remains ironclad. The South Korean military said on Monday that North Korea is restoring guard posts inside the DMZ and bringing heavy firepower into the area after scrapping the 2018 inter-Korean military agreement aimed at defusing cross-border tensions. The spokesperson also said that the U.S. is closely assessing the North’s recent satellite launch in close coordination with allies and partners. The department added that the U.S. is watching for any cooperative developments between North Korea and Russia on space-related technology, stressing that Pyongyang's advances in its space program have implications for regional and global security. 2023-11-28

Making Peace Together 2018 Inter-Korean Summit Pyongyang Date: Sept. 18-20, 2018 (Tues.-Thurs) Venue: Pyongyang(North Korea) Results: Pyongyang Declaration VIEW MORE

Timeline of recent events on the Korean Peninsula VIEW MORE

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