Spiking tensions: On peace in Korean Peninsula

Contact Counsellor

Last Updated24/01/2024

The idea of peaceful reunification was abandoned, signaling that Pyongyang is adopting a more aggressive stand.
It is evident from these actions that the Kim regime is seeking to alter the status quo.
The government sees the growing military convergence between South Korea, Japan, and the U.S. as a security threat.
The three countries recently linked up their missile radar data with one another.
The U.S. and South Korea also routinely conduct joint military exercises, which triggers sharp reactions from the North.
In the past, despite its rhetoric, North Korea was open to diplomatic engagement with the South and the US.

In 1994, it reached the Agreed Framework with the Clinton administration.
As part of this, it agreed to freeze the operation and construction of its nuclear reactors.
It was after the collapse of the Agreed Framework during the George Bush Jr. administration that Pyongyang went nuclear.
In an apparent rejection of the path of reconciliation with the U.S., Pyongyang has ruled out talks on denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula and has taken measures to strengthen ties with China and Russia.
A direct conflict between the two Koreas, one a nuclear power and the other backed by the world’s most powerful country, would be disastrous for the entire region.
Dialling down tensions and rebuilding confidence in inter-Korean relations should be an immediate priority for all stakeholders — Seoul, Pyongyang, and Washington.