President Park Geun-hye on Tuesday called for efforts to better accommodate North Korean defectors, claiming that their successful settlement here will send a strong message to the North Korean regime and the people who suffer under it.

She also reiterated the need for stronger coercive action to dissuade the communist North from nuclear armament, dismissing pacifists’ protest against the government’s hard-line policies.

“Recently, cases of defection from North Korea have been on the rise not only among regular people but also from elites,” the president said during a Cabinet meeting.

The key reason, according to Park, is that many realized that there is no future under the reclusive regime and came to seek a better alternative either for themselves or for their children.

“Defectors are messengers of the upcoming unification,” the president said, urging related ministries to review and develop programs so as to accommodate North Koreans.

“Their successful settlement here will not only realize their personal happiness but also offer hope to the numerous North Korean residents who still suffer from tyranny.”

In recent speeches, including a disputed one on Armed Forces Day on Oct. 1, Park has been encouraging North Korean residents to cross the inter-Korean boundary and come find “new lives” here.

While doing so, she upped criticism against the Kim Jong-un administration for neglecting its people and insisting on its much-censured nuclear program.

The visible rise in the number of defections, especially by some ranking government officials, indicates “cracks” in the North’s ruling system, the president suggested.

Under the current circumstances, mere talks would be neither sufficient nor appropriate in dealing with the nuclear-obsessed North, she added.

“In spite of consistent international efforts (to halt nuclear activities), North Korea has continued its nuclear tests and ballistic missile launches,” Park said.

“Should we choose to rely on talks in such a situation, we would be leaving our people in danger and allowing more time for North Korea.”

Park’s call for tougher sanctions against the North and a “strong security posture” came in contrast to the remark by Moon Jae-in, former chairman and top presidential hopeful of the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea.

Earlier this week, Moon demanded for a suspension of the planned installment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, an advanced US anti-missile system to be deployed in the peninsula next year.

The president also refuted the accusations from the opposition camp that her recent remarks sent out an aggressive message to the North.

“Saying that the government is provoking the North is not only false, but also causes setbacks in solving the current inter-Korean issues,” she said.

This was largely targeted at Rep. Park Jie-won, interim chief of the runner-up opposition People’s Party, who compared the president’s Oct. 1 speech to a declaration of war.

“We now have little time in our hands,” Park said,

“I urge the political circles to put the people’s safety as a priority and focus on changing North Korea for the sake of our nation and for our descendants.”

By Bae Hyun-jung ()


koreaherald@heraldcorp.com