Below are excerpts from, and links to, four South Korea editorials, from the Joongang Ilbo, Chosun Ilbo, Korea Times, and the Korea Herald. All are critical of their own government to greater (Chosun) and lesser (KH) degrees.

Joongang Ilbo: Egg on Seoul’s face (editorial)

Compared to Washington and Tokyo, Seoul is handling the matter as if it is somebody else’s concern. North Korea’s preparations for a missile launch were first seen in May. Since then, the South Korean government has reacted with a lax attitude.

[..]

The South Korean government needs to understand what is going on and how to react properly. If it continues to defend North Korea, this nation will also be isolated in the international society, along with North Korea. South Korea should understand and admit that as long as the North continues its provocative acts, economic cooperation between the two Koreas is not possible.

We should reconsider whether or not we should keep providing humanitarian aid, such as rice and fertilizer, to the North.

We should show that a wrongful act is to be punished.

From now on, an alliance between South Korea, the United States and Japan becomes even more important.

Korea Times: NK Fires Missiles (editorial)

The reckless move by Pyongyang has made it clear that it is impossible for Seoul to defend the North under any circumstances. Our government has no choice but to fundamentally revaluate its North Korean policy. Concerned authorities are asked to consult closely with the U.S. and Japan for relevant countermeasures, including the level of sanctions to be slapped on the North for the launchings.

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Unification Minister Lee Chong-sok revealed at a parliamentary session earlier last week that Seoul had informed Pyongyang of its intention of suspending economic assistance if missiles were fired. Now is the time for the government to strengthen cooperative relationships with the international community to cope wisely with the situation.

Chosun Ilbo: A Bad Misjudgment From North and South (editorial)

Why the slap in the face for our government? It is the natural consequence of Seoul¡¯s arbitrary interpretation of the North’s intentions. When other countries said North Korea was preparing to launch missiles, the government opined it was more likely to be a satellite. In military strategy, it is a fatal mistake to assume good intentions in an opponent without convincing reason. The basic idea of our North Korea policy is that the North will somehow change if only it is given enough aid. That has been proved wrong. Despite enormous economic aid every season, the administration failed utterly to influence Pyongyang as it prepared to launch the missiles since early May.

The means by which the government has tried to bring North Korea out into the world of peace and common sense were also wrong. The fruits of its efforts to mediate between the U.S. and North Korea were financial sanctions from Washington and a missile launch from Pyongyang. The administration miscalculated its capabilities. It thought talk of independence alone could produce independent strength. Now our national security is in danger because the government knows neither its counterparts nor itself.

Korea Herald: Missile test launch (editorial)

[The missile launch] is especially galling to South Korea, which has long been providing aid for the poverty-stricken communist state.

South Korea will now have to take a stand against North Korean provocations as it has promised in the past. Last month, Lee Jong-seok, the unification minister, said it would be difficult to provide North Korea with additional food and fertilizer aid if it should test-launch a missile.

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South Korea will have to draw the line and refuse to provide aid except for humanitarian purposes when it holds ministerial talks next week as scheduled.

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This should not come as a surprise to Pyongyang since it was given plenty of warnings to this effect several times in the past. It must be made aware that it cannot get away with a threat to South Korean security.

In addition, the South Korean government will be well advised to coordinate any punitive action with the United States and Japan if it is deemed necessary. At the same time, it will have to consult with them on how to bring Pyongyang back to the long stalled six-way talks on North Korea’s nuclear weapons program.

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