Asia-Pacific

ROK wants military ready

By Hyung-Jin Kim (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-06-15 07:27

Turkey's President Abdullah Gul (right) and his wife Hayrunnisa Gul (center) study the names of people, including Turkish soldiers, who died during the 1950-53 Korean War at the Korean War Memorial Museum in Seoul on Monday. Gul is making a three-day official visit. [Agencies]

SEOUL - The Republic of Korea's president stressed on Monday the need to bolster military readiness and sternly respond to Pyongyang over the deadly sinking of a warship, or risk more such provocations.

The ROK has taken a slew of punitive measures against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea - including resuming propaganda operations - after blaming Pyongyang for torpedoing its warship Cheonan in March. Forty-six ROK sailors died.

The DPRK flatly denies the allegation and has warned any retaliation would trigger war. The country's military said on Saturday it would launch an all-out strike against any ROK propaganda facilities at the border such as loudspeakers and could even turn Seoul into "a sea of flame."

The ROK has reinstalled loudspeakers on its side of the border after a six-year hiatus, but has yet to begin blaring propaganda.

China and Russia have urged restraint by all parties.

"If we fail to sternly respond to North Korea's wrongdoing in cooperation with the international community," ROK President Lee Myung-bak said on Monday, "and build up solid military readiness, a second and third provocation like the Cheonan incident can occur anytime," he said.

Lee also said he would revamp and strengthen the ROK's military and hold some officers responsible for the sinking.

Lee didn't name any top officers but his comments came a day after his top military officer offered to retire amid criticism over alleged negligence ahead of the sinking. The Cheonan attack occurred along the disputed sea border - where three bloody battles have been fought.

Gen. Lee Sang-eui, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, submitted his application for retirement to Defense Minister Kim Tae-young, on Sunday, according to Lee's office. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Han Min-koo has been designated as the new chairman of the JCS, subject to Cabinet approval, which was expected late on Tuesday.

An ROK audit body said the military had anticipated that a DPRK submarine could secretly attack an ROK ship following a sea skirmish in the area in November and still failed to prevent the attack.

The two Koreas are still technically at war because their 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty.

The DPRK on Monday held a national meeting to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the publication of the June 15 Joint Declaration between the North and South of the Korean Peninsula, the official news agency KCNA reported.

Yang Hyong Sop, vice president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK, said that the historic June 15 Joint Declaration opened a new period for the history of the Korean nationality.

After its publication, he said, the North and South eliminated confrontation and realized reconciliation, cooperation and communication.

DPRK state television on Monday aired coverage of the ROK's winning World Cup match against Greece - two days after it took place.