Recently, the Korean Peninsula has once again been in the global spotlight, and it is exciting. It was thought that North Korea would continue to "go head-to-head" with South Korea, but it unexpectedly turned to Japan and was not even opposed by the United States.
In an interview, Kim Yo, vice minister of the DPRK Labor Commission, responded positively to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's proposal to "hold DPRK-Japan talks". She believes that Kishida's move is bold and positive, which can promote the development of DPRK-Japan relations, and said that as long as Japan is willing to make a political decision, the two countries have every chance to create a new future, and even Kishida's visit to Pyongyang is not small.
Relations between North Korea and Japan have long been tense, with historical hatred, the North Korean nuclear issue, and the "pull issue" intertwined. In recent years, Japan has regarded North Korea as a potential military threat, and its defense policy of emphasizing "counterattacking the enemy" has exacerbated the security pressure on North Korea. Under these circumstances, North Korea's sudden overtures to Japan are really surprising.
What is particularly noteworthy is that not long ago, North Korea directly cut off all communication channels with South Korea, and relations between the two sides fell to a record low. And Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov even revealed the news that "the United States, Japan, and South Korea are preparing to go to war with North Korea", which is worrying. Is there a deeper consideration behind North Korea's choice to engage with Japan in diplomatic engagement at this time?
From the perspective of objective conditions, after three years of epidemic lockdown, North Korea has experienced huge economic pressure and urgently needs to be revitalized. Therefore, North Korea may not really want to go to war with the United States, Japan, and South Korea, but wants to ease the pressure through diplomatic means. Kim Yo-jong's positive stance toward Japan may be seeking such a way to mitigate.
In addition, the political situation in Japan is turbulent, and Kishida** is facing unprecedented political pressure. With approval ratings continuing to decline, Kishida urgently needs a diplomatic breakthrough to boost his political position. And the talks with North Korea are undoubtedly an opportunity.
However, this diplomatic move also brought embarrassment to South Korea, which was squeezed aside by the DPRK-Japan diplomacy and made South Korea feel abandoned. For South Korea, how to effectively deal with the changes in the East Asian pattern that may be brought about by the DPRK-Japan diplomacy while maintaining relations with the United States and Japan has become a severe diplomatic test.
Overall, there may be a number of complicated factors behind North Korea's sudden overture to Japan. As far as the entire East Asian region is concerned, the development of DPRK-Japan relations will have a direct impact on regional security and stability.