- South Korea's new president slammed his predecessor's more conciliatory approach toward North Korea.
- Yoon Seok-yeol told CNN that it is not worth it to "escape temporarily North Korean provocation or conflict."
- Yoon favors a more aggressive posture toward the north and closer ties with the US.
South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol on Monday slammed his predecessor's more conciliatory approach to North Korea, arguing that it is not enough to appease Kim Jong Un.
"Just to escape temporarily North Korean provocation or conflict is not something that we should do," Yoon told CNN during an exclusive interview with the network. "This kind of approach over the past five years, has proven to be a failure."
Yoon, a conservative, bested a more progressive rival in March after an increasingly bitter campaign. Yoon made a tougher tact with Kim one of his main messages in his bid to replace Moon Jae-in, who was term-limited out of office. Moon favored taking historic steps toward reunifying the Korean Peninsula, including having the two nations march under one flag at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games' Opening Ceremony in PyeongChang.
But Kim's regime has done little to change its behavior in the long run. As CNN points out, North Korea has launched 15 missile tests this year. It has also reportedly taken steps toward resuming underground nuclear testing.
Trump tried to broker a historic deal with Kim, attending a historic summit in Singapore and later briefly crossed into North Korean territory. But ultimately, he walked away from talks with North Korea.
Yoon comments come as President Joe Biden makes his first trip to Asia while in office. Biden and Yoon announced after their meeting that the US and South Korea are taking steps to resume military exercises that were paused as the Trump administration pursued talks with the north.
Such exercises, Yoon said, are "the basic duty of every military around the world to maintain their readiness."