South Korea’s Minister of National Defense said on Monday that the government has agreed to focus on military options and “punishment” of North Korea rather than dialogue.

The decision was reportedly made on Sunday, at a meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) called in the aftermath of North Korea’s sixth nuclear test.

“Opinions have converged that the direction which the government should take is to strengthen punishment… rather than the Berlin Initiative or dialogue, given the situation of [North Korea’s] nuclear test,” Song Young-moo said.

The statement appears to suggest that Moon’s “Berlin Initiative,” in which Seoul