Unusual consecutive from Northeast Asia
F-15K fighter jets of the Republic of Korea Air Force line up in formation during an “elephant walking” display of strength at a South Korean airbase on May 24, 2022 – Photo: Yonhap/ Reuters
Therefore, North Korea’s three consecutive missile tests on the morning of May 25 should not only be considered in terms of progress in Pyongyang’s missile program capabilities, but also should be viewed and evaluated. implicit of the event from the external context.
Test of Pyongyang
The timing of the missile test took the nature of the incident beyond the scope of a conventional weapons test. This is seen as a test that the Pyongyang government poses to Seoul and the West.
First of all, observers said that Kim Jong Un wanted to “stretching” the new government of South Korea’s new President Yoon Suk Yeol – who took office only half a month ago and has vowed to be tough on Pyongyang.
Mr. Yoon’s predecessor, President Moon Jae-in, is seen as quite friendly with Pyongyang, and North Korea must want to see what else Mr. Yoon can do in response to its missile tests.
On May 23, in an interview with CNN (USA), President Yoon Suk Yeol “kicked the peace ball” to Pyongyang when he said that the resumption of peace dialogue between the two countries would depend on his administration. Chairman Kim Jong Un.
This does not mean that Seoul is passive in inter-Korean relations, but it means more. If anything goes wrong in bringing about a peaceful resolution to the Korean peninsula, the great responsibility will lie with Pyongyang. The administration of Mr. Yoon Suk Yeol on the one hand shows that it is ready for the solutions proposed by North Korea, but on the other hand is also promoting cooperation with its allies.
Obviously, there is no smoke without fire. The test comes just days after Mr. Biden visited South Korea and discussed with Mr. Yoon about expanding US-ROK military exercises and deploying more powerful military assets in South Korea. including the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system.
Closer US-ROK defense cooperation is viewed differently by the parties. Pyongyang says this changes the stark balance of power on the Korean peninsula, threatening its security. On the other hand, the US and South Korea side highlighted their increased military activities only to counter future threats from North Korea.
Not the usual test
Immediately after North Korea’s missile launch, the South Korean and US militaries said they had fired surface-to-surface missiles to demonstrate their attack capabilities. The strong retaliatory response that is correspondingly and not just diplomatic as before of the US-ROK alliance shows that the current South Korean government has chosen a rather tough approach to North Korea.
This also means that the security landscape in Northeast Asia will not be the same as it was five years ago under Moon Jae In. North Korea will have to be careful in upcoming weapons tests if it does not want a stronger response from countries allied with South Korea.
The missile test could also create an unexpected side effect of Pyongyang by making South Korea-Japan relations able to warm up again and be more united.
Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio has criticized North Korea’s ballistic missile launch as “threatening the peace, stability and safety of Japan as well as the international community and unacceptable”. The White House declared the launch a “flagrant violation” of United Nations Security Council resolutions and risked destabilizing regional security.
From a strategic perspective, during the meeting between President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio in Tokyo a few days ago, the two sides pledged to work closely to address security challenges including the nuclear program. and North Korea’s ballistic missiles and what it calls China’s “increasingly coercive” behavior in the region.
North Korea’s missile test, unlike previous ones, has again created an opportunity for the United States, Japan, and South Korea to strengthen alliances and change the regional security architecture. Sometimes all you need is an excuse.
Japan has taken a tough stance with harsh language even though the North Korean missile was fired at a maximum altitude of more than 6,200km and at a high angle to avoid entering Japanese territorial waters.
Japan’s Defense Ministry also said no previous North Korean missile had reached that altitude. Thus, the missile test was probably intended to send a message to South Korea, Japan and the United States rather than a mere weapons test.
at Blogtuan.info – Source: tuoitre.vn – Read the original article here
