Opposition leader says N.K. ICBMs designed for invasion, not regime protection

SEOUL, Dec. 27 (Yonhap) -- The leader of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party claimed Wednesday that North Korea's development of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) is intended to keep U.S. forces at bay and invade South Korea for unification on its own terms.

Hong Joon-pyo made the remarks during a lecture for university students, renewing calls for the liberal Moon Jae-in government to craft a clear road map for resolving the escalating nuclear standoff with the regime led by the "unpredictable" leader Kim Jong-un.

"(The North's ICBMs) are designed to block the U.S.' participation in a war when the North makes an attempt at unification by force," Hong said at the Busan City Hall in the southern port city, 450 kilometers south of Seoul.

"It is not for preserving its regime but for an invasion into the South," the hawkish conservative politician added.

Following the North's tests on ICBMs in July and November, a flurry of speculation over its intentions have emerged. Some have argued Pyongyang seeks to possess nuclear-tipped long-range missiles for its regime survival, while others have said it wants to bolster its bargaining power in future negotiations with Washington or Seoul.

Concerns have also risen that the completion of the North's ICBM program could undercut the South Korea-U.S. alliance, as it could put American cities at risk and thus weaken the credibility of Washington's security commitment to Seoul.

During the lecture, Hong also pointed to the Donald Trump administration's "America First" mantra, raising doubts over whether Washington can quickly come to the defense of Seoul if it is in a security crisis.

"The U.S. is a country that puts the foremost priority on its national interests. The issue of South Korea comes next (for Washington)," he said.

Hong, in addition, said that the period between late autumn and early spring is when the likelihood of war rises, as he pressed the government to devise a stronger security policy against an increasingly provocative Pyongyang.

"By March next year, the situation is the most dangerous. After March when trees start to grow thick, it would be difficult to find targeting points (in the North)," Hong said.

"The president should come out and talk about a road map of how his government would eliminate the North's nukes and protect the lives and properties of the 50 million population, but he still does not give his answer."

sshluck@yna.co.kr
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