Yoon Suk-yeol, wearing a military uniform jacket and “Military Police” armband, visits a DMZ outpost on Dec. 20, 2021 | Image: Yoon Suk-yeol's presidential campaign team
Yoon Suk-yeol’s victory on Wednesday sets the stage for big changes to Seoul’s inter-Korean policy, experts say, as the new conservative president will usher in a more hawkish posture toward North Korea that is less prone to engagement than the Moon Jae-in government.
On the campaign trail, Yoon’s tougher line toward Pyongyang drew international attention. He framed North Korea as the “main enemy” of the South and repeatedly endorsed preemptive strikes against DPRK targets in certain situations. He’s also firmly against an end-of-war declaration at the present time, an initiative endorsed by both Moon Jae-in and Yoon’s primary election opponent Lee Jae-myung.
Yoon Suk-yeol’s victory on Wednesday sets the stage for big changes to Seoul’s inter-Korean policy, experts say, as the new conservative president will usher in a more hawkish posture toward North Korea that is less prone to engagement than the Moon Jae-in government.
On the campaign trail, Yoon’s tougher line toward Pyongyang drew international attention. He framed North Korea as the “main enemy” of the South and repeatedly endorsed preemptive strikes against DPRK targets in certain situations. He’s also firmly against an end-of-war declaration at the present time, an initiative endorsed by both Moon Jae-in and Yoon’s primary election opponent Lee Jae-myung.
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Chad O'Carroll is the founder of NK News/NK Pro and related holding company Korea Risk Group. In addition to being the group's CEO, O'Carroll is a frequent writer and commentator about the Koreas, having written about the two nations since 2010. He has visited the DPRK multiple times, worked and lived in Washington, D.C. with a focus on peninsula issues, and lived in the ROK since 2016.
Chaewon Chung covers U.S., Chinese, and Japanese politics and national security in relation to North Korea. She previously worked at Coda Story covering disinformation and technology with a focus on the East Asia.