Starting in 2023,North and South KoreaTensions on the peninsula have been escalating. The most recent escalation took place on Jan. 5, 2024, when South Korea and the United States conducted an eight-day joint combat-firing exercise near the North Korean border. According to reports, the exercise included a variety of exercisesThe use of systems, such as tanks,FightersArmored vehiclesand artillery systems. The drill, which was seen as a provocation against North Korea, provoked a tough response from North Korea.
Expanded: This combat shooting exercise is an important training conducted by South Korea and the United States to improve their joint combat readiness, and the main purpose is to strengthen the relationship between the two countriesMilitaryCooperation and response to the North Korean threat. The exercise used a large number ofsystems, including modernized tanks andFightersThis fully demonstrates the strength and determination of the ROK-US coalition forces. During the exercise, the participating units actively cooperated and carried out various actual combat trainings, such as simulated air strikes, tank shooting, and air defense. Through this exercise, the ROK-US coalition forces have strengthened their ability to coordinate operations, enhanced their deterrence against North Korea, and demonstrated to the outside world their determination to firmly defend peace and stability on the peninsula.
In the midst of tension on the peninsula, maritime disputesIslandsIt has become the main position for both sides to express their attitudes. These fiveIslandsIncluding Baiyu Island, Daqingdao, Xiaoqingdao, Yudao and Yanping Island, their ownership has not been clear. North and South KoreaBoth sides drew their own lines of demarcation at sea, but these fiveIslandsCrossing in the lines of the two countries. This also led to:North and South KoreaThe armies shelled each other in this area of the sea in order to express each other's positions and intentions.
Expanding: InNorth and South KoreaAfter the end of the war, since there was nothing like the sea ".Thirty-eight lines"That clear line of demarcation led toNorth and South KoreaDisputes between the two sides over maritime territorial disputes. These five controversiesIslandsLocated inNorth and South Koreademarcate the demarcation line near eachIslandsare claimed by both sides as their own territory. In particular, Yeonpyeong Island, asNorth and South KoreaThe most controversialIslandsIt has always been the deployment of troops by the North Korean military and the South Korean armyMilitaryImportant locations for the exercise. North Korea thinks theseIslandsis their territory, and insist on sovereignty;South Korea, on the other hand, believes in theseIslandsas part of them. This territorial dispute has led to frequent clashes between the two sides in the waters, including ship collisions and shelling of each other.
It has been observed that one of the main reasons for the escalation of the situation on the Korean Peninsula is the impetus of the United States behind it. Immediately after South Korea's Yoon Suk-yeol came to power, the United States put pressure on him to step up targeted exercises with North Korea and deploy strategiesto the peninsula. This has led to a growing sense of insecurity in North Korea, which has led to tougher actions.
Expanding: The United States has been exploiting tensions on the peninsula to consolidate its influence in the Asia-Pacific region. The U.S. has put pressure on South Korea to take a tougher stance on North Korea and to step up targeted drills with North Korea. In order to comply with the demands of the United States, Yoon Suk-yeol not only regards North Korea as the "main enemy", but also takes the initiative to increase the number of targets against North KoreaMilitaryThe scale and frequency of the exercises. In addition, the United States will **, nuclear submarines andStrategic bombersand other strategiesDeployment to South Korea strengthens pressure and deterrence on North Korea. These moves have sparked fears in North Korea and further sparked an escalation of tensions on the peninsula.
In short, the tensions on the peninsula that have continued since 2023 continue to ferment. Joint combat-firing exercises conducted by South Korea and the United States, as well as North Korea's tough response, as well as the fact that disputed islands at sea have become the focus of expressions of attitude, have contributed to the escalation of tensions. The U.S. push behind the scenes has also heightened tensions on the peninsula. The situation on the peninsula is very volatile, and continued escalation could lead to more serious consequences, requiring all parties to deal with it calmly and find a peaceful solution.