Iran president condemns US 'aggression' in first reaction to strikes
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian condemned US strikes on nuclear sites Sunday, saying in his first response that the attack revealed Washington was "behind" Israel's military campaign in the Islamic republic.
"This aggression showed that America is the main factor behind the Zionist regime's hostile actions against the Islamic Republic of Iran," he said, according to IRNA news agency, adding that the United States acted after seeing Israel's "obvious inability". (AFP)
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Korea Herald
3 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Seoul seeks to minimize fallout from US strikes on Iran
The presidential office ordered ministries to prioritize the protection of South Korean nationals and to minimize potential security and economic fallout from the US military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. The ministries have since taken emergency measures in response. South Korean National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac convened an emergency meeting at noon Sunday, hours after the US military bombed three nuclear facilities in Iran, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said during a televised briefing. 'At today's meeting, discussions focused on the impact of the US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities — which follows the Israel-Iran conflict — on our security and economy, while also accurately assessing the current situation,' Kang said. '(National Security Office) Director Wi Sung-lac emphasized that, above all, it is important to protect the lives and safety of our nationals and to ensure the stable continuity of daily life," she added. According to Kang, Wi also 'called on relevant ministries to maintain close communication and cooperation to minimize the impact that the recent series of developments in the Middle East may have on the security and economic situation of the Korean Peninsula." Kang underscored that 'the discussions spearheaded by the presidential office will continue, closely monitoring developments related to the current situation and taking into account potential changes in circumstances.' The emergency meeting was also attended by first deputy National Security Adviser Kim Hyun-jong, second deputy adviser Lim Woong-soon, and third deputy adviser Oh Hyun-joo, as well as Senior Presidential Secretary for Economic Growth Ha Joon-kyung, among others. Second Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jina held a joint emergency response meeting between the Foreign Ministry headquarters and the South Korean Embassy in Iran on Sunday afternoon to review safety measures for South Korean nationals and assess the situation in Iran, according to the Foreign Ministry in Seoul. 'Second Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jina called for leaving no stone unturned to ensure the safety of our nationals living in Iran, given that the situation could further deteriorate following the US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities,' the ministry said in a statement. Kim also 'ordered watertight measures to ensure the safety of embassy staff.' 'The Foreign Ministry will devise necessary measures for the safety of our nationals while closely monitoring the situation in the Middle East,' the ministry added. As of Saturday, around 60 South Korean nationals remained in Iran, down from approximately 110 who were staying in the country as of June 13, when the exchange of airstrikes began with Israel's surprise attack on Iran. According to the Foreign Ministry, a total of 56 South Korean nationals and their Iranian family members had fled Iran and entered Turkmenistan as of Saturday. Among them were 51 South Koreans and 5 Iranians. In Israel, around 460 South Korean nationals remain. This follows the evacuation of 25 South Koreans and one Israeli family member to Jordan on Thursday, and a separate evacuation of 23 South Koreans to Jordan on June 16. On the same day, Second Vice Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Choe Nam-ho held an emergency session for a comprehensive situation assessment meeting to evaluate potential effects on domestic industries, including energy, exports, logistics, supply chains and South Korean companies operating in the region. After the meeting, the ministry said it has activated an emergency response team in response to rising Middle East tensions. The meeting was held amid growing concerns over possible disruptions to crude oil and liquefied natural gas or LNG imports, as well as the operational status of tankers navigating waters near the Strait of Hormuz — a vital chokepoint for both South Korean and global energy shipments. According to a database provided by the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, around 99 percent of Middle East-produced crude oil bound for South Korea passes through the Strait of Hormuz. Separately, Acting Finance Minister Lee Hyoung-il convened a closed-door emergency response meeting with relevant agencies on Sunday afternoon to assess the economic impact of the US strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities. Tensions escalated as US President Trump announced early Sunday that the United States had struck three Iranian nuclear sites — in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan — joining Israel's airstrikes against Iran on the 10th day of the Israel-Iran conflict. In response to the US strikes, the Foreign Ministry said Sunday, 'Our government hopes that tensions in the region will be alleviated rapidly and will continue to participate in international efforts toward that end.' 'Our government places importance on resolving the Iranian nuclear issue from the perspective of nuclear nonproliferation and is closely monitoring developments related to the attack on nuclear facilities in Iran this morning, Korea time,' the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Korea Herald
4 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Seoul shares snap 5-day rally following US strike on Iran; won at 1-month low
South Korean stocks ended lower Monday to snap a five-day winning streak, over heightened Middle Eastern uncertainties following the United States' bombing attacks on key Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend. The local currency was trading sharply lower against the US dollar. The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index slid 7.37 points, or 0.24 percent, to close at 3,014.47, after dipping to an intraday low of 2,971.36. Trade volume was heavy at 619.8.7 million shares worth 17.76 trillion won ($12.8 billion), with losers outnumbering winners 646 to 265. Foreigners and institutions combined sold local shares worth 1.32 trillion won, while retail investors snapped up shares worth 1.4 trillion won. On Friday, the Kospi topped the 3,000-point mark for the first time in more than three years, backed by investor optimism over policies under the Lee Jae Myung administration. But investor sentiment was dampened by heightened tensions in the Middle East over the weekend. The US used B-2 bombers to launch air strikes on three key nuclear sites in Iran on Saturday, with President Donald Trump describing the operation as "successful" and claiming the Iranian sites were "obliterated." Chip and bio shares led the overall losses, with market heavyweight Samsung Electronics dropping 2.52 percent to 58,000 won and Samsung Biologics slumping 2.36 percent to 992,000 won. Battery and heavy machinery shares also retreated, with top battery manufacturer LG Energy Solution down 3.61 percent to 294,000 won and defense systems giant Hanwha Aerospace dropping 2.03 percent to 919,000 won. Automotive and shipbuilders also lost ground. Top automaker Hyundai Motor plunged 4.05 percent to 201,500 won, and leading shipyard HD Hyundai Heavy Industries slid 2.14 percent to 433,500 won. In contrast, internet-related shares and financial companies advanced. Top portal operator Naver soared 7.61 percent to 290,000 won, and KB Financial climbed 1.03 percent to 107,600 won. The local currency was trading at 1,384.3 won against the greenback at 3:30 p.m., down sharply by 18.7 won from the previous session, and marking the lowest since May 21, when the corresponding reading was 1,387.2. (Yonhap)
Korea Herald
5 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Trump struck Iran — but North Korea is a different story
Iran strike hardens Kim Jong-un's nuclear resolve, pushes Pyongyang deeper into China-Russia orbit, say experts US President Donald Trump's decision to authorize airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities has been widely seen as reinforcing North Korea's long-held belief: that nuclear weapons are essential for regime survival. The strike would further dim the already unfavorable prospects for nuclear dialogue with Washington and accelerate Pyongyang's push for deeper military cooperation with Russia. Still, analysts in Seoul stressed that North Korea's case is fundamentally different from Iran's. Not only does Pyongyang already possess nuclear weapons and advanced delivery systems, it also maintains a distinct rationale and motivation for nuclear armament — unlike Tehran, whose program is framed around deterrence and national pride, Pyongyang's is centered on the survival of the Kim regime. One of the most significant differences, observers noted, is that the likelihood of Trump ordering a similar strike on North Korean nuclear facilities is considered extremely low. A key reason lies in North Korea's counterstrike capabilities: intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the US mainland and massed artillery aimed at densely populated areas of Seoul. Joung Kyeong-woon, a senior research fellow at the Seoul Defense Forum, pointed out that densely populated areas — including the Seoul metropolitan area and the city of Goyang — are well within range of North Korean artillery. 'The primary reason North Korea cannot be attacked lies in the fact that we are essentially held hostage by its artillery — far more easily usable than nuclear weapons,' Joung told The Korea Herald. "This reality was confirmed when South Korea opposed, and then-US President Clinton ultimately abandoned, the idea of a surgical strike." Then-President Kim Young-sam opposed the US proposal to strike the Yongbyon nuclear facility during the 1994 nuclear crisis under the Clinton administration. North Korea can launch immediate strikes on the densely populated South Korean capital and its vicinity using artillery systems such as 170mm self-propelled guns and 240mm multiple rocket launchers, in addition to missiles targeting South Korea, including nuclear-capable solid-fuel short-range missiles like the KN-23. 'Since then, North Korea has secured layered deterrence through its possession of various medium- and long-range ballistic missiles, in addition to nuclear weapons,' Joung said. Joung further explained that North Korea's deeply fortified underground nuclear facilities are nearly impossible to neutralize. 'North Korea's key nuclear and missile facilities are located hundreds of meters underground, beneath solid bedrock in the mountainous regions of the country's northwest," Joung said. 'There are no existing weapons capable of directly destroying them — not even tactical nuclear weapons.' Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Kyungnam University's Institute for Far Eastern Studies in Seoul, pointed out, 'North Korea's possession of nuclear weapons and second-strike capabilities are the biggest constraints on a US airstrike" against nuclear facilities in North Korea. In April 2025, Gen. Xavier Bruson, the commander of US Forces Korea, testified before the House Armed Services Committee that the 'DPRK's chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons programs and formidable missile force (ballistic and cruise) pose a threat to the US homeland, US forces in the Indo-Pacific, and allied nations." Pyongyang has formalized a preemptive, or first-use nuclear policy in accordance with the law on North Korea's policy on nuclear forces, promulgated in September 2022. 'This marks a shift from its previous stance of using nuclear weapons solely for defensive purposes, allowing their use also for repelling or retaliating against an enemy's invasion or signs of an impending attack,' Lim said. The roles of Russia and China also set North Korea apart from Iran. 'Unlike the case of Iran, Russia is obligated to intervene automatically under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty between North Korea and Russia," Lim said. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty, which stipulates a mutual defense obligation, in June 2024, during Putin's visit to Pyongyang. 'China is likely to view a US airstrike on North Korea's nuclear facilities as a direct threat to stability on the Korean Peninsula and to security along the China–North Korea border," Lim added. Leif-Eric Easley, professor of international studies at Ewha Womans University in Seoul, pointed out that 'China and Russia are better positioned to help Pyongyang than Tehran.' 'The North Korean case is very different," Easley said. More importantly, experts in Seoul underscored that the US strike on Iran's nuclear facilities is likely to have far-reaching implications for North Korea — reinforcing Pyongyang's nuclear posture, deepening its distrust of Washington, and reshaping its approach to diplomacy and military cooperation. Kim Dong-yub, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, pointed out that what matters to South Korea is 'the impact on the Korean Peninsula and how North Korea perceives the situation." 'North Korea is likely thinking that its choice was the right one following the US bombing of Iran's nuclear facilities. It will further solidify its belief that 'possessing nuclear weapons is the only means of survival' and will continue to maximize the legitimacy of its nuclear possession,' Kim said. 'Beyond the economic shock, this crisis is highly likely to trigger widespread security instability on the Korean Peninsula and lead to a fundamental shift in the strategic environment,' Kim added. Lim said Trump's decision to strike Iranian nuclear facilities 'has a significant impact on North Korea's foreign policy.' 'North Korea will reinforce the legitimacy of its existing policy that prioritizes regime survival and nuclear weapons development, and expand military cooperation rooted in anti-Western solidarity — particularly with Russia and China,' Lim said. 'It will also shift further toward deepening skepticism of inter-Korean dialogue and negotiations with the United States.' The US military strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities will further deepen North Korea's distrust of the US — already hardened by Washington's withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, or JCPOA, in 2018 and the breakdown of the 2019 North Korea–US summit in Hanoi during the first Trump administration.
