Seoul: President Yoon Suk Yeol on Monday called for thorough countermeasures against the “illegal” military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, emphasizing that the growing alliance between Pyongyang and Moscow poses a significant security threat to South Korea. In a parliamentary address read by Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, Yoon vowed to bolster security and defense amid rising security concerns due to North Korea’s troop deployment to Russia in support of its war in Ukraine.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Yoon highlighted that the recent international security situation and the illegal military cooperation between North Korea and Russia pose a considerable threat to national security. He assured that all possible scenarios would be thoroughly reviewed to prepare countermeasures. South Korea has significantly enhanced its deterrence against North Korea’s nuclear threats through its strong alliance with the United States and trilateral security cooperation involving Japan, Yoon stated, promising to
strengthen security readiness based on these frameworks.
In addition to security measures, Yoon committed to expanding support for North Korean defectors and raising awareness of human rights issues in North Korea by hosting international dialogues on the topic. “We will work to expand the international community’s understanding and support for the vision of a free and unified Korea,” he said.
The speech also detailed the next year’s budget of 677.4 trillion won (US$509.7 billion), marking a 3.2 percent increase from the previous year. It was the first time in 11 years that a sitting president opted not to deliver the budget speech in person. Yoon explained that the budget proposal includes cuts in unnecessary projects in line with a “sound fiscal policy” while prioritizing the welfare of vulnerable groups and fostering economic growth to tackle complex challenges.
“In the 2 1/2 years since the government was launched, there has not been a single day without significant difficulties both at home and abroad
,” Yoon remarked. He noted that the economy has faced severe challenges due to the global complex crisis, including high interest rates, inflation, and uncertainty in financial markets, along with economic slowdowns in major countries leading to a decline in exports.
Yoon stressed that the budget proposal focuses on the government’s reform agenda for health care, pensions, labor, and education to address challenges posed by a low birth rate and an aging population. “The four major reforms on pension, labor, education, and health care are urgent and critical tasks that must be undertaken immediately for the survival of the nation,” he said, reaffirming the government’s commitment to completing these reforms despite any obstacles.
The president outlined initiatives to boost the low birth rate and called for parliamentary support to create the Ministry of Population Strategy, a proposed control tower to manage the demographic crisis. “I urge the National Assembly to swiftly pass the necessary legislation, incl
uding the Government Organization Act, to promptly launch the Ministry of Population Strategy,” he stated.
The statutory budget deadline is set for Dec. 2, though the National Assembly has only met this deadline twice in the past two decades, in 2015 and 2021.