The leader of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party claimed Wednesday that North Korea's development of intercontinental ballistic missiles is intended to keep US forces at bay and invade South Korea for unification on its own terms.
Hong Joon-pyo made the remarks during a lecture for university students, renewing calls for the liberal Moon Jae-in government to craft a clear road map for resolving the escalating nuclear standoff with the regime led by the "unpredictable" leader Kim Jong-un.
"(The North's ICBMs) are designed to block the US' participation in a war when the North makes an attempt at unification by force," Hong said at the Busan City Hall in the southern port city, 450 kilometers south of Seoul.
"It is not for preserving its regime but for an invasion into the South," the hawkish conservative politician added.
Following the North's tests on ICBMs in July and November, a flurry of speculation over its intentions have emerged. Some have argued Pyongyang seeks to possess nuclear-tipped long-range missiles for its regime survival, while others have said it wants to bolster its bargaining power in future negotiations with Washington or Seoul.
Hong Joon-pyo, the leader of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, speaks during a lecture for university students at Busan City Hall in the southern port city, 450 kilometers south of Seoul, on Dec. 27, 2017. (Yonhap)
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