북한의 개성공단 담당 기관인 중앙특구개발지도총국이 30일 대변인 담화에서 “우리의 존엄을 조금이라도 훼손하려 든다면 공업지구를 가차없이 차단, 폐쇄해버리겠다”고 위협했다. 북한은 같은 날 ‘정부•정당•단체 특별성명’을 통해 이 시각부터 남북관계는 전시상황 에 들어간다“고 선언하며 한반도 긴장을 한층 더 고조시켰다.

전문가들은 이와 관련 여전히 ”우리의 존엄을 조금이라도 훼손하려 든다“ 이라는 조건이 붙어 있다는 점에서 당장 실질적인 폐쇄조치로까지는 가지 않을 것이라고 전망했다.

북한은 이날 특별성명에서 ”현재 개성공업지구의 운명은 한 치 앞도 내다볼 수 없는 형편“이라며 ”그런데 지금 괴뢰패당과 어용언론은 개성공업지구 출입이 간신히 이루어지는 데 대해 ‘북한이 외화수입 원천이기 때문에 여기에 손을 대지 못한다’느니, ‘북한의 두 얼굴 ’이니 하는 헛나발을 불어대며 우리의 존엄까지 모독해 나서고 있다“고 비난했다.

이것과 관련, 전문가들은 북한이 군사적 도발 위협을 가중시키는 가운데, 돈벌이가 되는 개성공단은 정상운행하고 있다는 한국 내 비난여론을 의식한 것 같다고 지적했다.

북한은 최근 연이어서 한국과 미국을 겨냥해 정전협정파기, 상호불가침조약 파기, 미사일 부대 “전투근무태세 1호” 발령 등 위협적인 발언을 쏟아 내고 있다.

김관진 국방부 장관은 30일 북한의 잇따른 대남 위협조치와 관련, ”북한의 무력도발 가능성을 완전히 배제할 수 없다“면서 ”도발시 우리의 모든 전력뿐 아니라 미국 본토의 전력까지 동원해 일거에 제압할 것“이라고 밝혔다.

국방부는 이날 발표한 입장을 통해 ”연일 계속되는 대남 도발 위협은 한반도 평화와 안정을 해치는 용납할 수 없는 일“이라고 밝혔다. 또한 ”최근 우리 측이 실시한 키 리졸브•독수리 연습과 미국 전략폭격기의 한반도 전개 훈련 등은 북한의 도발 위협에 대비한 방어적 성격의 군사 훈련“이라고 설명했다.

(코리아 헤럴드 송상호 기자)

<관련 영문 기사>

N. Korea threatens to close Gaeseong industrial complex

By Song Sang-ho


North Korea said Saturday that it would close the inter-Korean industrial complex in its border city of Gaeseong and declared that the Korean Peninsula has entered a “state of war.”

The North’s spokesperson for the Gaeseong complex said Seoul is “seriously insulting our dignity” by claiming Pyongyang is allowing the complex to run despite escalated tensions because it is a source of foreign currency.

The statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency apparently underlined the communist state’s anger over recent South Korean media reports, which upbraided the impoverished state for cashing in on the lucrative complex while churning out bellicose statements against Seoul. 

From nixing the armistice agreement to putting its artillery at the highest level of combat readiness, Pyongyang has escalated its threats against Seoul and Washington to protest the allies’ military drills, and toughened and additional sanctions for its missile and nuclear tests.

These threats were met only with tougher deterrence measures. The allies have signed a counter-provocation plan and mobilized nuclear-capable U.S. weapons such as B-2 bombers and the nuclear-powered Cheyenne submarine for their annual drills.

Saturday’s stepped-up rhetoric further ratcheted up tension and prompted a war of words between the two Koreas that still remain technically at war as the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a truce rather than a peace treaty.

“From this moment, the North-South relations will be put at a state of war, and all the issues rising between the two will be dealt with in accordance to wartime regulations,” the North said in a special statement issued by the country’s government, parties and other organizations.

The statement also underscored the North would immediately punish any slightest provocation hurting its dignity and sovereignty with “resolute and merciless physical actions without any prior notice.”

It also mentioned specific targets such as the U.S. mainland, Hawaii and Guam as well as 28,500 American troops on the peninsula. It also said the South Korean presidential residence and office of Cheong Wa Dae and its military bases would be devastated.

Observers said that as only North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has the authority to declare war, the statement by the social and political organizations is only another verbal threat to highlight their unity against South Korea.

During a meeting with ruling Saenuri Party officials on Saturday, Seoul’s Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin said the possibility of Pyongyang’s provocation cannot be ruled out, stressing that if provoked, the South would mobilize not only all of its military assets but also weapons from the U.S. mainland.

In a separate statement, Seoul’s Defense Ministry sought to assuage public security concerns, stressing it was maintaining a water-tight military readiness, and that any provocation would be met with “thorough retaliation.”

Seoul’s Unification Ministry said the North’s claim that the bilateral ties had entered into a state of war was a follow-up measure after it put its missile and artillery units in the highest combat ready posture.

“It is not new, but just the latest in a continuing series of provocation threats,” the ministry said in a press release.

The U.S. said it takes the North’s warning seriously.

“We‘ve seen reports of a new and unconstructive statement from North Korea,” said Caitlin Hayden, spokeswoman for the National Security Council, according to AFP. “We take these threats seriously and remain in close contact with our South Korean allies.”

As to the North’s threat to close the joint industrial complex, experts said the North would be unable to deal with the risks associated with its shutdown. Despite such a threat, border-crossings by South Koreans working at the complex have so far proceeded without incident.

“The money raked in from the complex is crucial seed money for the North Korean leadership. On top of that, the complex hires some 54,000 North Koreans, compared with the population of around 120,000 in Gaeseong,” said Cho Bong-hyun, senior researcher at the Industrial Bank of Korea Research Institute.

“Taking into all these factors and others and given that the complex is the only means left for inter-Korean economic cooperation, it would be difficult for Pyongyang to stop it.”

North Koreans are working at the complex with a monthly average pay of $144. Through the complex, the cash-strapped country rakes in more than $90 million each year.

Huh Moon-young, a senior fellow at the state-run Korea Institute for National Unification, said that both Seoul and Pyongyang should not let the tension to further escalate.

“(Seoul) needs to make some rationale for Pyongyang to come forward for dialogue and help the dovish forces within the North Korean regime to raise their voices,” he said. “During such a period of the heightened inter-Korean standoff, the voices of those favoring dialogue in both Seoul and Pyongyang are sacrificed.” 

(sshluck@heraldcorp.com)