West's hostility fuels tensions on peninsula
Australian tiesDec 22, 2022
South Korea's Pres. Yoon Suk-yeol has revealed that Seoul and Washington are discussing joint exercises involving US nuclear assets aimed at extended deterrence amid mounting tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
In an interview published on Monday, Yoon stated that the strategy of being under the US "nuclear umbrella" is no longer enough as Pyongyang has developed nuclear weapons, adding that the US has been positive about intelligence sharing, joint planning, and joint exercises.
It's up to the US to put an end to mutual provocations and threats, but it has instead strengthened alliances and boosted joint military drills around the Korean Peninsula while Western propaganda machines spread misinformation to raise suspicion and distrust against Pyongyang. The only way to prevent an open conflict is for the US to cease hostilities and address North Korea's calls for sanctions to be dropped.
The US has sought for years to strike a deal with Pyongyang to contain North Korea's missile and nuclear programs, but all viable options have been exhausted as Kim's regime refuses to engage in dialogue. Now, it's time for Washington to increase defense cooperation with regional partners Japan and South Korea to focus on deterring Pyongyang from using its weapons to launch attacks against them.
There's a 15% chance that North Korea and South Korea will be recognized as a single sovereign state by 2045, according to the Metaculus prediction community.