[Editorial] How are breaches in the national security?

I have no objection against President Kim Dae-jung in his declaration in Japan to maintain his ‘Sunshine’ policy on the day before yesterday. It’s true that the policy has brought peace and stability in the Korean peninsula.

But for the policy to work, a firm national security is required. If there were slight trouble in the national security, the ‘Sunshine’ policy would become meaningless. Whenever possible, President Kim also emphasizes the need for firm national security. In his speech he said, “We must maintain a firm national security and prevent a war in the peninsula. We must walk a path of cooperation”.

Regardless of his claim, the national security is not kept properly. The North Korea patrol boat incursion down the NLL on June 29th shows vivid weakness of our national security.

As this column has pointed out, North managed to embarrassed our military because of the ‘Four directives’ ordered by President Kim since June 1999 battle of Yon-pyung. The directives include forbidding pre-emptive fire against intruding North Korean patrol boats.

Do not provoke North Korea. Do not expand this conflict.

In the battle of Yon-pyung, due to passive responses such as ‘Pushover maneuver’ even the burning North Korean patrol boat managed to flee. Firm national security didn’t become a foundation of ‘Sunshine’ policy. Instead too much concern for the policy has jeopardized the national security. It’s natural for the military Joint Staff to change their operation directives to fire upon North Korean vessels after initial warning.

As President Kim has said, the naval clash was not caused by the ‘Sunshine’ policy. In the past when there was no ‘Sunshine’ policy there were many military clashes, which were more serious than the latest incident.

What we are emphasizing is that lets properly make up for our weakness in the national security, which was look over by the policy. The national security is top priority over everything.