President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during a Central United Defense Council meeting at Yeongbingwan guesthouse in Jongno District, Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap

By Nam Hyun-woo

President Yoon Suk Yeol criticized the previous Moon Jae-in administration for relying on a "fake peace" with North Korea and weakening the country's preparedness to defend itself against various threats from the North.

During a Central United Defense Council meeting, Wednesday, Yoon cast dispersions that the previous administration had downsized the key national security meeting and that this weakened the country's readiness for a potential conflict with North Korea.

"During the previous administration, this meeting was scaled down, and combined exercises involving the military, police, the government and the public were not carried out effectively, due to the previous administration's reliance on fake peace," Yoon said. "Thus the country's overall capabilities to carry out an all-out war to defend itself have been weakened."

The Central United Defense Council meeting is held between high-ranking officials in the government, the military, police and private experts. The meeting is used to gauge the country's overall defense posture and explore ways to further develop that stance. Launched in 1968 to seek a proper response to North Korea's provocations, the meeting has been presided over by the president or the prime minister.

Since 2017, when Moon took office, it was the prime minister who would preside over the meeting. Then the meeting was carried out digitally via videoconferences or by written reports in the last three years.

The presidential office said Yoon decided to preside over the meeting so as to acknowledge the grave national security circumstances that the country is facing in the wake of the growing risk of drone incursions, terrorism and cyber-attacks, as well as North Korea's recent hostile behavior, declaring its right to preemptively attack South Korea with nuclear weapons.

"The security circumstance of the Korean Peninsula and surrounding region is grave," Yoon said. "Risks are growing over North Korea's strategic provocation such as intercontinental ballistic missile launch and its seventh nuclear weapon test … The fast-changing circumstances require us to be ready to cope with every possible threat."

Yoon noted that he will preside over the meeting every year in order to prevent any glitches in the country's defense posture.

During the meeting, participants discussed measures to improve Seoul's response to North Korea's nuclear, missile and other large-scale provocations and the growing risks of terrorism and cyberattacks.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un speaks during a dinner to celebrate the regime's 75th anniversary of Army's foundation day, Tuesday, in this photo carried by the North's Korean Central News Agency, Wednesday. The North's Military Foundation Day falls on Wednesday and the North is anticipated to hold a large-scale parade of its armed forces. Yonhap

Yoon's remarks came as North Korea is poised to celebrate the 75th anniversary of its Military Foundation Day with a nighttime military parade on Wednesday.

Satellite images produced by private companies clearly show that large screens, projectors, light towers and firework mortar tubes are being installed in Pyongyang, indicating that the North is preparing for another nighttime military parade in what appears to be a bid to improve the visual effects of the event.

During the Oct. 10, 2020, parade, the North unveiled its Hwasong-17, the largest inter-continental missile that the North has developed to date. During last year's parade, North Korea unveiled a new type of submarine-launched ballistic missile, the Hwasong-8, which the regime claims is a hypersonic glide vehicle as well as displaying a series of other advanced weapons.

Experts anticipate that Wednesday's parade will also showcase new weapons that it has tested in recent years.

Former U.S. Forces Korea Commander retired Gen. Robert Abrams told Radio Free Asia that North Korea will likely reveal new cruise missiles, which are capable of loading nuclear warheads and a 600-millimeter multiple launch rocket system, given that the regime has claimed that they have been successfully tested.

Furthermore, other experts expect that the North may unveil a new solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile, given that the regime on Dec. 15 tested a rocket engine, which is assumed to be powered by solid fuel.