[New Square 10] Kim Jong-un called up high-ranking officials...Reading the ratification of the North Korea-Russia Treaty

■ Host: Um Min Anchor
■ Video broadcast: Kim Yong-hyun, professor of North Korean studies at Dongguk University

* The text below may differ from the actual broadcast content, so please check the broadcast for more accurate information. Please specify [YTN New Square 10AM] when quoting.

[Anchor]
Kim Jong-un reportedly convened high-ranking military officials yesterday as North Korea continues to insist on infiltrating drones. Russia and North Korea are taking close steps in the recent escalation of tensions on the Korean Peninsula. For more information, I will analyze it by connecting Kim Yong-hyun, a professor of North Korean studies at Dongguk University. You're out, right?

[Kim Yonghyun]
Hello.

[Anchor]
How are you? Yesterday, Chairman Kim Jong-un convened high-ranking military officials to discuss UAV measures, but the details have not been released yet, so what has been said?

[Kim Yonghyun]
It is known that the National Defense Security Council was convened yesterday. In fact, the details have not come out. In the end, North Korea's positions on the drone incident were organized at the highest level, which should be seen as this, but if you look at the actual attendance this time, you can see that all the highest levels of North Korea's defense line have gathered. So, if you look at North Korea right now, Chief of the General Staff, including Defense Minister Noh Kwang-chul, Ri Yong-gil, Director of Reconnaissance General, and all the people in general gathered. In the process, we believe that the drone incident occurred once, but in the event of a drone incident in the future, and how North Korea will respond to the military in the process, these things have been summarized once.

[Anchor]
You said that a lot of top officials gathered, but the fact that you convened a high-ranking official like this means that Chairman Kim Jong-un is so sensitive to the drone incident, can you see it like this?

[Kim Yonghyun]
That's right. You should look at it like that. About the drone incident. It's impossible to accurately judge who did it. However, in the current situation, North Korea makes the most of this incident to establish internal solidarity, and now raises military tensions on the Korean Peninsula to highlight North Korea's presence in overall foreign relations, whether it is a US presidential election. I think they are setting these goals clearly. That is why North Korea continues to expand it now, causing problems or making problems an issue. In this regard, North Korea is taking the lead in the overall change of circumstances by showing it to Kim Jong-un's own care. In addition, North Korea is not behind, and steps are coming out in this dimension. We should look at it like this.

[Anchor]
Now, the North Korean side has referred to the South Korean military as the main culprit, but has not provided a clear basis. And unusually, he is also issuing a statement for three consecutive days, and the level is rising. How do you analyze the discourse?

[Kim Yonghyun]
First of all, North Korea is using the most expressions that it can say with words. You're almost using nutmeg-level expressions, aren't you? In this way, it seems that North Korea shows its firm commitment to the drone incident, and in the end, it is clear that it will fully utilize it for solidarity within North Korea. Overall, North Korea takes the drone incident as an opportunity at this point to make the most of it to summarize North Korea's firm positions in internal solidarity and external aspects.

And since North Korea is talking about two national theories in inter-Korean relations and a hostile state, this is specifically embodied in reality. Rather, it properly shows it to North Koreans and externally. In this sense, they are taking a hard-line drive. However, so far, it is a step at the level of a horse bomb, so you can see it like this.

[Anchor]
You analyzed that there would be an inner circle for internal solidarity, but if you look at North Korea's claim now, the private sector cannot send it because it is a drone that can take off only with a launch pad or a runway. Is that really the case?

[Kim Yonghyun]
I think it's still a little difficult to judge this part accurately. This is because it is about who is launching the drone now, and of course, there are not many private organizations that can fly fixed-wing drones that can fly 300 to 400 kilometers back and forth technically. It's not easy because it's a drone that needs a runway or a launch pad.

However, it is clearly not impossible, and in that sense, I think it is necessary to respect our government's position at the moment because our government is clearly implementing the NCND policy, that is, neither a poet nor a wife.

[Anchor]
At this time yesterday, we were caught preparing to blow up the road connecting the Gyeongui and East Sea lines, and we delivered this breaking news. Then, we can say that we are in a situation where we can block the border with the South at any time. What does it mean to cut off the border?

[Kim Yonghyun]
After all, the Gyeongui Line and the Donghae Line are two land routes that the two Koreas can travel to and from each other. Exploding this land route is an irreversible relationship between the two Koreas, and North Korea is going to show this, but if North Korea blocks it, in the end, North Korea's actions can be seen as such in the part that shows North Korea's firm commitment to inter-Korean relations.

However, this is whether North Korea's actions will continue to lead to a break in inter-Korean relations. In this regard, there is probably something we need to pay more attention to the US presidential election. Also, the drone incident is now focused on this case itself, but we need to see what kind of start this is. We have to think about whether this is the starting point for the military confrontation between the two Koreas to go to extremes, or paradoxically, whether the two Koreas can go to rapid reversals while raising tensions, but I don't think we can say where we are at the moment. However, I think we all need to make such efforts to prepare for these two paths.

[Anchor]
You're saying that you need to analyze various things, but if you look at the movements North Korea is making right now, they're spitting out harsh words, and after they say things like this, North Korea tends to act. That's why there are talks about the possibility of additional provocations, so if you make additional provocations, what form would it be?

[Kim Yonghyun]
The possibility of further provocations is clearly open. So, North Korea flew to the South late at night regarding drones, and even around the presidential office in Yongsan, North Korea has flown it once in the past. Of course, we can't say we did it, but North Korea can act like that when North Korea claims it, I think this is the domain of a family.

Another is how North Korea will act on the NLL. So North Korea continues to emphasize the new maritime boundary, and in that sense, there is an overlap with the Northern Limit Line that we are talking about. In the overlapping line, North Korea fires coastal artillery and conducts exercises such as launching coastal forest short-range missiles into waters very close to the NLL.If this happens, military tensions on the West Sea or the Korean Peninsula will inevitably rise sharply.

I think there's a possibility of doing this. If North Korea raises the level of provocation, North Korea plans to launch military reconnaissance satellites one or two times this year, but it will launch military reconnaissance satellites.The possibility of a seventh nuclear test and a tactical nuclear test is still open, either in Ralji or in the worst case. North Korea's cards are so open from low to high. I think we should look at it like this.

[Anchor]
Under these circumstances, Russia has defended North Korea by criticizing our government, even though the reality of the unmanned aerial vehicle is unknown. And I also submitted a bill on the Treaty of North Korea and Russia, which eventually raised relations militarily. How do you see this close movement between North Korea and Russia?

[Kim Yonghyun]
What Russia said is that the drone incident is a violation of sovereignty and interference in domestic affairs against North Korea. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, now on screen.E. If you look at this part, you can see how close relations between North Korea and Russia are. China has not expressed these expressions so far. Russia is now stepping up and doing it, which shows the current honeymoon relations in relation to North Korea-Russia relations, I think we should look at it like this.
I understand that a bill related to the treaty between North Korea and Russia is now being submitted to the Russian parliament and the ratification process is underway.

It's whether or not this content is at what level. In the end, through this treaty between North Korea and Russia, the treaty signed during the Cold War era was privately cultured, but it will be revived. If we go this way, we will have no choice but to face a very serious situation if we go to the mutual defense treaty.
Because if we get to a mutual defense treaty, we can go to the level where we can have a very close cooperative relationship in the military sector between North Korea and Russia. Therefore, considering the war in Ukraine now, I think it is a very important part for us to see what the contents of the treaty between North Korea and Russia are.

[Anchor]
Let's stop here. We have also looked at the situation of rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula and the close movement of North Korea and Russia. I was with Kim Yong-hyun, a professor of North Korean studies at Dongguk University. Thank you.

[Kim Yonghyun]
Thank you.