Text Fwd: Defense minister-designate voices support for self-defense air raids 국방 장관 내정자, 북한에 대해 자위 방어 공습 지지

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Defense Minister-designate Kim Kwan-jin answers questions from lawmakers during his confirmation hearing the National Assembly, Dec. 3. (Photo by Tak Ki-hyoung)　

Hankyoreh
Defense minister-designate voices support for self-defense air raids
: Analysts say his comments are likely political, since intelligence for air strikes lies with USFK
Dec. 4, 2010
By Lee Se-young

At his nomination hearing Friday, Defense Minister-designate Kim Kwan-jin made a distinction between the rules of engagement and the right to self-defense and said that he would “definitely attack” North Korea with aircraft in the event of another provocation from the country.

Speaking at the National Assembly National Defense Committee hearing Friday, Kim said, “The rules of engagement are valid as a guideline in the event of an unintended clash [between North Korea and South Korea], but if we suffer a provocation first, this falls in the scope of self-defense rights, and we can punish an enemy threat sufficiently until the root of it has been completely eliminated.”

The statement is based on Article 51 of the U.N. Charter, which states that a country may use military force in self-defense when it suffers an armed attack by another country.

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See also
Hankyoreh
Military responds to Tokyo Shimbun’s prediction of strike on Gyeonggi Province
: Military officials say they have both the intelligence to predict and forces to repel such an attack
Dec. 4, 2010