Yoon accuses ex-President Moon of harming military with campaign for N.K. sanctions relief

By Lee Haye-ah

SEOUL, May 11 (Yonhap) -- President Yoon Suk Yeol accused his predecessor Moon Jae-in on Thursday of causing serious harm to the military's health by campaigning for sanctions relief for North Korea.

Yoon made the remark during the inaugural meeting of the presidential defense innovation committee, referring to Moon's efforts to promote peace with North Korea through high-level diplomacy.

"Under the former government, the commander-in-chief asked the whole world to lift sanctions, saying North Korea was going to denuclearize, ultimately leading to serious health problems for the military," Yoon said during the meeting at the presidential office, according to his spokesperson Lee Do-woon.

"Seized by political ideology, they turned away from the North Korean nuclear threat," he said, calling for "normalizing such abnormalities."

Yoon has warned of serious consequences for North Korea's nuclear and missile provocations and taken steps to restore South Korea-U.S. military exercises that were scaled back under the previous administration, among other measures.

hague@yna.co.kr
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