Defence Minister: S Korea to unite Korean Peninsula

South Korean Defence Minister Shin Won-sik has said that South Korea will “unite” the Korean Peninsula “based on liberal democratic” values if North Korea provokes a war with Seoul.

Shin Won-sik made these remarks during a press conference following negotiations with the US counterpart Lloyd Austin in Seoul, according to TASS.

“If North Korea provokes a war, its regime will disappear and there will be unification based on a liberal democratic order under the leadership of the Republic of Korea,” the South Korean minister said.

He said that Pyongyang's use of nuclear weapons would lead to the "end of the regime" in North Korea.

Shin Won-sik also noted that the armed forces of South Korea and the US maintain full combat readiness.

During the meeting with the US defence minister on November 12, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol stressed that the allies should be prepared for any type of provocation by the North, including a “Hamas-style surprise attack”.