S. Korea should be ready against possible N.K. interference in general elections: PPP floor leader

December 29, 2023

South Korea should maintain a firm readiness posture against North Korea’s possible attempts to influence April’s general elections, the ruling party’s floor leader said Friday, after the spy agency said it sees a high possibility of Pyongyang doing so.

The National Intelligence Service said Thursday the North could conduct military provocations or stage a cyberattack, citing its track record of carrying out such acts ahead of South Korea’s elections and Pyongyang’s reinstatement of key figures involved in high-profile provocations against Seoul.

“It seems certain that North Korea has planned to simultaneously carry out military provocations and covert operations against South Korea to interfere in our elections,” Rep. Yun Jae-ok, floor leader of the ruling People Power Party (PPP), said. “How we respond will be important.”

Such operations can be prevented if South Korea maintains a steadfast national security posture, Yun said.