Foreigners safety in S. Korea assured - Ambassador Jongmoon Choi

Ambassador of the Republic of Korea in Sri Lanka, Jongmoon Choi made a statement regarding the current situation in the Korean peninsula.

Extracts of his statement:

North Korea continues its threats of war against the Republic of Korea and its allies.

It denounced the Armistice Agreement and declared 'a state of war' against the Republic of Korea. It threatened that it would restart all nuclear facilities at its main Yongbyun complex.

It is only natural for the international community to be concerned about the threats of North Korea. However, we don't see any unusual military movement on the part of the North, and there is no sign that the North is actually preparing for a military attack.

The current military drill of the North Korean army is of the same intensity and scope as before, and many North Korean soldiers are engaged in farming in the current spring season. North Korea's threats could be understood from two aspects.

First, it has a domestic purpose to consolidate the power basis of the current regime by creating an atmosphere of external crisis. Second, these threats are just a continuation of a psychological warfare, which North Korea is always waging against the Republic of Korea and its allies.

The hostility in the rhetoric becomes intensified, but in terms of the content, it is hardly new.

The main objective of the propaganda warfare is to scare the international community in order to increase its leverage at the negotiation tables.

Considering these aspects, being excessively anxious over the current situation on the Korean peninsula means being caught in the trap of North Korea.

Meanwhile, the Government of the Republic of Korea is closely and constantly observing the North and managing the situation in a very stable manner based on a strong deterrence created by co-operation with the international community.

My Government's top priority is to prevent any military provocation from the North, and we make every effort in close collaboration with neighbouring and other countries.

This effort has been successful so far, and deterrence will remain the most important counter measure of my Government when it faces threats from the North.

At the same time, the Korean Government is maintaining full preparedness in every aspect for possible emergencies based on precise analysis of the situation. Safety measures for foreigners in Korea are also an important part of these measures.

There are around 230,000 foreign workers in Korea including 25,000 Sri Lankans, and they are valuable contributors to the Korean economy and to bilateral relations between Korea and their countries of origin. The Korean Government cares about their safety in case of emergencies and has set up safety measures to secure the safety of foreigners.

I hope the people and the Government of Sri Lanka will stand with the Republic of Korea and join the international community in sending a firm and constant message to North Korea that it should make a right choice, instead of going into isolation.