Lieutenant General In-bum Chun (ROK, Ret.) examines North Korea’s coastal defense capabilities in the West Sea and analyzes how its ongoing military modernization and territorial claims exacerbate security tensions on the Korean Peninsula. He points out that countering North Korean coastal threats necessitates careful political decision-making, as any military action could lead to escalation. In this context, Chun stresses that negotiation, rather than conflict, is the essential path to stability.