On 22 April, four days ago, the US and South Korean forces, who are currently engaged in joint military exercises, made open part of what they are doing in the exercises. They were landing at Pohang, in the East coast of South Korea, on the assumption that the port facilities of Pohang was damaged. Pohang is probably the most important industrial centre in the ROK where the main steel plants of the POSCO are located. But why such exercises at Pohang? Because its landscape is similar to some portion of the Northern coast?
The DPRK is demanding the immediate stoppage of the exercises, saying that it amounts to an act of war. What they are saying itself is understandable. But not the uncivilized way in which they are putting it! It goes against all the perception of the Korean people as a sensible and sensitive people. Everybody is now looking at their intimidation as a paper tiger.
This writer, however, is also against such exercises for the reason that it has unnecessarily heightened the military tension in East Asia, and has unnecessarily provoked the DPRK. They are militarily isolated. Only on the south of the Parallel does the old Cold-War pattern of alliance exist. Under such circumstances there is not much space for diplomacy, and diplomacy does not always work under the military pressure.
What is more worrying to this writer is that some of the US units, Marines, taking part in the exercises have gone there from their bases in Okinawa, Japan. This means that although there is no Japan-South Korean alliance, there is virtually a triangular one with the US as the pivotal power. This means that in the event of hostilities, however unlikely, Japan may be dragged into it on the side of the US and against the DPRK against our will. There is no reason whatsoever that we should fight them, or their possible allies, and we should never do so.
Also on 22 April, the DPRK summoned a high-level talk and decided that the nuclear preparation should be put an emphasis on. Apparently they cannot take care of the whole of the military field because of the resource shortage. But they do want to be recognized as a nuclear power. In their view that would put them on an equal footing with the US.
This writer is of the view that such a demand should be rejected out of hand. But that can be effectively done only when the other nuclear powers make a serious effort to reduce their nuclear arsenal, including the means of delivery. At the same time the DPRK should understand that, once it becomes such a power, it would get entangled in a fatal contradiction that the more they have, the more they have to spend, even more disregarding the life of their people, and irrevocably damaging their reputation in the eyes of the whole world.
The DPRK is demanding the immediate stoppage of the exercises, saying that it amounts to an act of war. What they are saying itself is understandable. But not the uncivilized way in which they are putting it! It goes against all the perception of the Korean people as a sensible and sensitive people. Everybody is now looking at their intimidation as a paper tiger.
This writer, however, is also against such exercises for the reason that it has unnecessarily heightened the military tension in East Asia, and has unnecessarily provoked the DPRK. They are militarily isolated. Only on the south of the Parallel does the old Cold-War pattern of alliance exist. Under such circumstances there is not much space for diplomacy, and diplomacy does not always work under the military pressure.
What is more worrying to this writer is that some of the US units, Marines, taking part in the exercises have gone there from their bases in Okinawa, Japan. This means that although there is no Japan-South Korean alliance, there is virtually a triangular one with the US as the pivotal power. This means that in the event of hostilities, however unlikely, Japan may be dragged into it on the side of the US and against the DPRK against our will. There is no reason whatsoever that we should fight them, or their possible allies, and we should never do so.
Also on 22 April, the DPRK summoned a high-level talk and decided that the nuclear preparation should be put an emphasis on. Apparently they cannot take care of the whole of the military field because of the resource shortage. But they do want to be recognized as a nuclear power. In their view that would put them on an equal footing with the US.
This writer is of the view that such a demand should be rejected out of hand. But that can be effectively done only when the other nuclear powers make a serious effort to reduce their nuclear arsenal, including the means of delivery. At the same time the DPRK should understand that, once it becomes such a power, it would get entangled in a fatal contradiction that the more they have, the more they have to spend, even more disregarding the life of their people, and irrevocably damaging their reputation in the eyes of the whole world.
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