The Asia-Pacific Region is one of the sections where global security has become the most fragile and these sections attract the attention of the international public. There are many problematic issues in the region, such as Taiwan, the South China Sea, the Kuril Islands, Dokdo and Takeshima Islands, historical problems between South Korea and Japan and compensation cases for the Japanese occupation, instability in the Korean Peninsula. Among them, it can be said that North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile tests are of great concern, especially in terms of the globality of the threat it poses.
South Korea cannot get results from its efforts to completely denuclearize the Korean Peninsula and from calls for dialogue and negotiation towards North Korea. Pyongyang hardens both its rhetoric and actions and continues to make threatening statements. For this reason, Seoul is in search of a new method. It can be stated that the main reason for all this is to ensure the national and regional security of South Korea.
Moreover, it is worth noting that North Korea is a very large and important nuclear power.[1] It can be said that the nuclear power of Pyongyang poses a significant threat both regionally and globally. Especially South Korea is one of the states that feels this danger most closely due to its geopolitical location, geographical proximity, historical hostilities and current struggles. Because North Korea and South Korea have critical problems with a historical background. At the same time, these two countries still have not been able to overcome the problems between them due to their ideological differences and their geopolitical positions. Moreover, the problems between Pyongyang and Seoul continue to increase.
It can be argued that Washington has an important place in Seoul’s foreign policy pursuits and South Korea has hardened its rhetoric against North Korea for this reason. Seoul’s discourses are far from constructive and escalates conflict rather than resolution. Because the alliance relations, exercises and discourses on the Asia-Pacific Region and especially on the basis of the USA, ultimately provoke North Korea even more.
Moreover, North Korea’s frequent ballistic and nuclear missile tests also escalate the tension. In addition, the alliances formed by the USA and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in the region within the scope of anti-Pyongyang are also provoking North Korea. Also, the USA and NATO actually aim to surround China by establishing these alliances. However, in doing so, they present the North Korea excuse to the global public, serving the “othering” of Pyongyang and creating a provocative effect.
Currently, South Korea and Japan can be said to be the strongest allies of the USA and NATO in the Asia-Pacific Region. It can be argued that the common threat perception of the said states plays a decisive role in this regard. Because both actors are countries that have historically serious problems. However, it is seen that common security concerns bring the parties together.
It can be said that the situation in question is beneficial for both the USA and NATO. Because the unity is important in terms of the influence these actors have in the region. In addition to all these, the West’s allies and alliances in the region are of great importance in the policy of encircling China and deterring North Korea from nuclear tests.
On the other hand, the Pyongyang administration is trying to draw an independent perspective in security, economy and politics within the framework of the Juche policy, which can be called the official state ideology of the country. Because Juche policy is based on the idea of the country’s self-sufficiency. At this point, it can be argued that North Korea will not give up its nuclear program. As a matter of fact, according to this understanding, there are some principles that governments should follow. These are; political independence is the achievement of self-sufficiency in the economy and the capacity to protect oneself in the field of national defence. It can be said that North Korea’s nuclear program, which has been maintained almost since its foundation, constitutes the country’s grand strategy within the framework of these principles.
In conclusion, the increase in threats in the Asia-Pacific, both quantitative and qualitative, has led South Korea, an important ally of the West in the region, to be more proactive in foreign policy. Therefore, it can be predicted that this attitude will continue unless Seoul’s threat perceptions change.
[1] “Is It Time to Accept North Korea Is a Nuclear Power?”, Cable News Network World, https://edition.cnn.com/2022/10/28/asia/north-korea-nuclear-threat-solution-analysis-intl-hnk/index.html, (Date of Accesion: 01.08.2023).
