Suh Hoon, head of the National Security Office. yunhap news
The Blue House announced on the 26th that “we have been discussing countermeasures at the National Security Council (NSC)” in relation to the escalating military tension in Ukraine. It seems to be a rebuttal to the criticism of Yoon Seok-yeol, the People’s Power presidential candidate, that “the government is letting go, the NSC standing committee should be opened.”
Park Soo-hyun, senior presidential secretary for public communication at the Blue House, said in a written briefing on the same day, “The NSC Standing Committee and the working-level coordination meeting have been reviewing the ripple effect on the Korean economy and the situation in Northeast Asia in relation to the Ukraine crisis and discussing countermeasures.” The meeting was presided over by Director of the National Security Office Suh Hoon to evaluate the urgency and severity of the situation and to check the safety measures for our people,” he said.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Intelligence Service have also been closely evaluating the situation in Ukraine for over a month, and have come up with safety measures for our people in preparation for the possibility of an actual military clash,” he said.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of National Defense, and the National Intelligence Service are discussing this issue in depth with the United States,” he added.
The emphasis on the government’s response to the Ukraine crisis seems to be conscious of the criticism from the political circles.
Earlier on the 25th, presidential candidate Yoon Seok-yeol, the People’s Power, posted on his Facebook page, “The conflict between the US and Russia over Ukraine has reached its climax and the situation is urgently on the verge of war. “We must make all-out preparations to secure the safety of our people, including preparing for flights in case of emergency by opening the NSC Standing Committee,” he said.
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