The Asia-Pacific Region, like North Korea, attracts the attention of the international public in terms of security, as it is a geography that is both authoritarian and isolated from the global system and contains a sizable nuclear power. Because North Korea is increasing its nuclear power day by day and increasing its nuclear and Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) tests.
This situation causes serious security concerns both regionally and globally. As a matter of fact, the close relations and exercises organized by the United States of America (USA) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) with actors in the region such as South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and Japan do not deter Pyongyang; it even has a provocative effect.
Moreover, alliances such as the AUKUS Pact, ANZUS and QUAD are not enough to ensure that the West gets a result. At the same time, the periodic calls for dialogue by the USA and the sanctions decisions taken at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) do not yield any results.
As a matter of fact, it can be said that South Korea is one of the states that closely feel the danger posed by North Korea due to its geopolitical position, historical relations and good relations with the West and the USA. South Korea is in a serious search for security in an environment where so many actions and rhetoric do not yield any results. Therefore, Seoul wants to establish its security in cooperation with the West and the United States.
As a matter of fact, at this point, when South Korea’s search for security is examined, it is noteworthy that South Korea, Japan and the USA firstly condemned North Korea’s first solid fuel ICBM test and reached an agreement to develop security cooperation. It is important for the three countries to discuss this situation at the 13th Trilateral Defense Negotiations, held in Washington on April 15, 2023, and discuss regularization of missile defense and anti-submarine exercises as a deterrent and response to North Korea’s “nuclear and missile threats”. situation creates.
After the meeting in question, Pyongyang was called to “immediately cease all destabilizing activities” and “reaffirmed that a nuclear test in North Korea would be met with a strong and determined response from the international community”.[1]
On the other hand, according to the statement made by the South Korean Presidential Office on April 25, 2023, it was said that a document detailing the expanded deterrence measures will be announced after the summit between South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and US President Joe Biden on April 26, 2023. According to a statement made by Kim Eun-hye, Yoon’s senior press secretary, the document includes a more advanced version of the expanded deterrence strategy. Extended deterrence expresses the United States’ commitment to mobilize all its military capabilities to defend its allies against threats.[2] This shows how much importance South Korea attaches to US deterrence in the face of the North Korean threat, and that the US and the West take the nuclear danger posed by Pyongyang seriously.
At this point, it can be said that Japan, the most important ally of the USA and the West in the Asia-Pacific, has an important place in Seoul against North Korea in terms of security. For example, on April 27, 2023, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, in his speech to US lawmakers, said that it is necessary to accelerate trilateral cooperation with Japan and the United States against the increasing nuclear threats of North Korea.[3] In addition, on April 25, 2023, Yoon expressed his reactions to criticism for his statement that Tokyo should not “kneel” in order to improve ties with historically troubled Japan.
Traveling to the United States for a six-day state visit, Yoon sought to increase regional security cooperation in the face of increasing threats from North Korea and stated that he made strengthening relations with Tokyo an important element of his administration’s policy. Because South Korea has problems with Japan both historically and currently over Dokdo and Takeshima Islands. As a matter of fact, despite all this, the fact that Seoul attaches great importance to cooperation with Tokyo proves how high South Korea’s security concerns are.
As a result, North Korea poses a very serious nuclear threat in the Asia-Pacific Region, and South Korea is one of the states that feel this threat most closely. This situation pushes Seoul to seek security. However, it can be argued that these security pursuits will have a provocative effect rather than a deterrent on Pyongyang.
[1] “South Korea, Japan, United States to Deepen Security Ties Amid North Korea Threat”, Al Jazeera, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/4/15/s-korea-japan-us-to-deepen-security-ties-amid-n-korea-threat, (Date of Accession: 05.05.2023).
[2] “S. Korea, United States to Unveil Separate Documents on Extend Deterrence”, The Korea Herald, https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20230425000076, (Date of Accession: 05.05.2023).
[3] “South Korea Leader Stresses Need for Cooperation with Japan on North Korea”, Reuters https://www.reuters.com/world/south-korea-leader-tells-us-congress-necessary-speed-cooperation-with-japan-2023-04-27/, (Date of Accession: 05.05.2023).
