The Asia-Pacific Region is a region where competitions and cyclical influence struggles in global geopolitics are manifested. As a matter of fact, it can be said that fault lines in international security pass through this region. What Asia-Pacific means to the global system, the Korean Peninsula means the same to Asia-Pacific. Because it is possible to read the security equation of the Pacific from the security perspective of the Korean Peninsula.
In this context, it is known that exercises are held against North Korea’s ballistic missile and nuclear tests in partnership with the United States (USA), South Korea and Japan. However, since South Korea is one of the states that feel the danger most closely, Seoul wants to speed up and intensify these exercises. At the same time, South Korea aims to conduct bilateral and more specific exercises with the United States. In short, the Seoul administration is trying to channel Washington’s attention to the Pyongyang threat. As a matter of fact, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s visit to Seoul in February 2023 before the bilateral exercises planned to be held in partnership with the USA and South Korea, and during this visit, deterrence steps to be taken against North Korea were discussed,[1] which is an important development for South Korea to get what it wants.
First of all, it can be said that the current situation brings South Korea closer to the West, the USA and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) line with each passing day. Because North Korea, due to its official state ideology, “Juche” policy, aims not to be dependent on foreign sources, both politically and economically, at home and abroad. In particular, Pyongyang’s increase in nuclear power is important in this regard. South Korea, on the other hand, does not have such a policy. This causes Seoul to need Western and US support geopolitically, geostrategically and geoeconomically. In this case, it is effective that South Korea’s both defense and attack capacities are not at the level of the US and NATO forces. However, both the Western-based alliances and exercises with regional actors and the relations developed with Western actors do not play a role in reducing the danger on a regional scale; It can be argued that it provoked Pyongyang even more and increased the danger of using nuclear power. This makes the regional security environment fragile.
On the other hand, the West continues its actions in the region and increases the pressure on North Korea. This situation pushes the Korean Peninsula, which can be described as “Pandora’s Box” in the Asia-Pacific context, to the brink of a nuclear danger. In particular, Japan, which is increasingly pro-Western and proactive, and at the same time constitutes an important pillar of the cooperation established with the USA, South Korea and Japan in the Asia-Pacific Region, is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). The fact that it is a non-permanent member and will host the G7 Summit in 2023 is an indication that the West will increase the pressure it puts on Pyongyang through the United Nations (UN). As a matter of fact, the UNSC targeted North Korea for the first time this year at the meeting chaired by Japan on January 30, 2023.[2] This confirms the argument in question.
In addition to all these, it can be said that both the West and North Korea did not step back and forced the pandora’s box to open by making the security fault lines fragile through the “cowardly chicken game” they played. Because North Korea made its largest and most comprehensive ballistic missile display ever on February 9, 2023.[3]
In addition to all these, Pyongyang tested its second largest intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), named Hwasong-15, on February 19, 2023. According to KCNA, the North Korean State Media, this attempt was made to send a message to the United States and South Korea.[4] As a matter of fact, the ICBM named Hwasong-15 has a range of 13 thousand kilometers.[5] This range also covers an area that can hit Washington.
Moreover, after the test in question, Pyongyang also fired two short-range missiles to the east of the Pacific on the same date. It was stated that this was done as a reaction to the US-South Korea bilateral dialogue in the region. At the same time, KCNA stated that these trials are the result of increased dialogue on the Washington-Seoul line.[6] Moreover, Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean President Kim Jong-un, also said that Seoul should end its cooperation with Washington so that South Korea does not become a “shooting range” for them.[7] Therefore, the process reveals the provocative effect of the Western alliance and South Korea’s pursuit of de-nuclearization on Pyongyang.
In this context, the West continues to escalate the tension and does not leave the said attempts of North Korea unanswered. After the aforementioned trials, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin came together on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on February 18, 2023 and exchanged views on the North Korean threat. As a matter of fact, the importance of the exercises developed under the leadership of the USA against this danger was emphasized.[8] Again at the same conference, a meeting was held between Park, Hayashi and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in which all three countries reaffirmed their cooperation towards denuclearization of North Korea.[9] The fact that North Korea is included in the meetings between these three states in such an important conference shows the consolidation of the West against North Korea.
At the same time, on February 19, 2023, the USA and South Korea held joint air exercises in the region and pointed to the trials of Pyongyang as the reason for these exercises.[10] In addition, the UNSC decided to meet urgently on 20 February 2023 due to the missile tests carried out by North Korea repeatedly.[11]
Tensions did not subside after the events, and in an interview, Park Jin described North Korea as an “existing and clear” threat. In this regard, he emphasized that the deterrence of the USA is the only hope of South Korea.[12] On February 23, 2023, a missile defense exercise was held in the Asia-Pacific Region with the cooperation of Seoul, Tokyo and Washington.[13] Following these exercises, North Korea tested four strategic cruise missiles during an exercise designed to demonstrate its ability to conduct a nuclear counterattack against enemy forces, according to KCNA.[14] This is important in terms of showing that the parties have not taken a step back and the extent of the tension has reached.
As a result, Asia-Pacific Region, in the world; The Korean Peninsula may also be called “Pandora’s Box” in Asia-Pacific. Because the tension, which started to manifest through nuclear empowerment, has reached dimensions that are difficult to handle. Unless a common denominator is reached in the minimum commonalities, it is possible that a nuclear crisis that will occur over the Korean Peninsula will open the “Pandora’s Box” and cause a regional and then global destruction.
[1] “US Defence Chief to Visit Seoul Ahead of Bilateral Exercise Against North Korean Nuclear Attacks”, Asia News Network, https://asianews.network/us-defence-chief-to-visit-seoul-ahead-of-bilateral-exercise-against-north-korean-nuclear-attacks/, (Date of Accession: 25.02.2023).
[2] “NATO, Japan Pledge to Strengthen Ties in Face of ‘Historic’ Security Threat”, Reuters, https://www.reuters.com/world/nato-strengthen-partnership-with-japan-says-secretary-general-stoltenberg-2023-01-31/, (Date of Accession: 25.02.2023).
[3] “North Korea Parades Largest Long-Range Missile Array”, BBC News, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-64577925, (Date of Accession: 205.02.2023).
[4] “North Korea Says It Fired Hwasong-15 ICBM in Warning to US, South Korea”, NK News, https://www.nknews.org/2023/02/north-korea-says-it-fired-hwasong-15-icbm-in-warning-to-us-south-korea/, (Date of Accession: 25.02.2023).
[5] “ANKASAM İnfografik: Kuzey Kore’nin Nükleer Gücü”, ANKASAM, https://www.ankasam.org/ankasam-infografik-kuzey-korenin-nukleer-gucu/, (Date of Accession: 25.02.2023).
[6] “North Korea Fired 2 Missiles, Artillery After Making Threats”, CNBC, https://www.cnbc.com/2023/02/20/north-korea-fired-2-missiles-artillery-after-making-threats.html, (Date of Accession: 25.02.2023).
[7] “Kim’s Sister Makes ‘Shooting Range’ Threat as North Korea Tests More Missiles”, CNN, https://edition.cnn.com/2023/02/19/world/north-korea-unidentified-ballistic-missile/index.html, (Date of Accession: 25.02.2023).
[8] “Japan, South Korea Foreign Ministers Meet On Sidelines of Munich Security Conference”, Channel News Asia, https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/japan-south-korea-foreign-ministers-meet-sidelines-munich-security-conference-3289246, (Date of Accession: 25.02.2023).
[9] “Japan, US, S. Korea Reaffirm Cooperation Toward N.Korea’s Denuclearization”, NHK World – Japan News, https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230219_12/, (Date of Accession: 25.02.2023).
[10] “The U.S. and South Korea Staged A Joint Air Exercise After the North’s Missile Launch”, NPR, https://www.npr.org/2023/02/19/1158190998/the-u-s-and-south-korea-staged-a-joint-air-exercise-after-the-norths-missile-lau, (Date of Accession: 25.02.2023).
[11] “UN Security Council Set to Meet On N.Korean Missiles”, NHK World – Japan News, https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20230220_31/, (Date of Accession: 25.02.2023).
[12] “Exclusive: North Korea A ‘Clear and Present Danger,’ Says South Korean Foreign Minister”, CNN, https://edition.cnn.com/2023/02/22/asia/south-korea-foreign-minister-interview-intl-hnk, (Date of Accession: 25.02.2023).
[13] “South Korea, US, Japan Stage Missile Defence Exercise After North Korea Launches”, Asia News Network, https://asianews.network/south-korea-us-japan-stage-missile-defence-exercise-after-north-korea-launches/, (Date of Accession: 25.02.2023).
[14] “North Korea Test-Fires 4 Strategic Cruise Missiles To Show It Can Launch Nuclear Counter-Attack”, South China Morning Post, https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3211329/north-korea-test-fires-4-strategic-cruise-missiles-show-it-can-launch-nuclear-counter-attack, (Date of Accession: 25.02.2023).
