'Clear & present danger': S. Korean foreign minister says about N. Korea, US deterrence is the only hope

South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin in an exclusive interview with CNN on Wednesday said that North Korea is a 'clear and present danger.' This comes asPyongyang tested intercontinental ballistic missiles and nuclear-capable long-range multiple rocket launchers last week.

"What North Korea is doing is completely wrong. They have been escalating nuclear and missile threats, and threatening the peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia," Park said. He added, North Korean President Kim Jong Un's frequent missile tests and repeated threats of using nuclear weapons were a display of aggression and the only way to tackle it is through extendedUSdeterrence.

Following the recentmissiletests,Kim'ssisterKimYo Jongalso warned of moretestsunless the United Stateshaltsits military drills with South Korea,threateningtomakethe Pacific Ocean a "shooting range."

However, Park said that such an act will only strengthen South Korea's alliance with the US, as "extended deterrence is the only way that we can effictively protect out country from North Korean aggression."

He mentioned that the deterrence wouldinvolve "effectivedeployment of US strategic assets, exercises and training."

The South Korean ministry showedlittle hope ofeasingtensionswith North Korea,sayingthat therewereno active negotiationsand Kim would not give up on hisideaof nuclear weapons voluntarily.

"We have to create an environment where North Korea has no choice but to come back to the negotioation table," said Park to CNN. He added that past experiences had shown that Kim would not negotiate when he senses weakness in his opponents.

Therefore, the lesson South Korea learned from this is when we are strong, "North Korea comes to the dialogue table. When we are weak, they try to take advantage of that vulnerability. So we have to prepare ourselves through our defense and also through deterrence to talk with the North."

(with inputs from agencies)

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