At the beginning of the new year, North Korea fired a large number of artillery shells off the coast of South Korea, triggering tensions on the peninsula and causing the international community to worry about peace and security on the peninsula. This incident not only reflects North Korea's tough posture, but also exposes the complexity of the great power game. North Korea's shelling behavior, the motives behind it, and the possible impact will be analyzed from the following aspects: Putin's ingenious layout in the peninsula game, and whether the peninsula will become the next international focus, similar to Gaza in the Middle East.
First of all, why did North Korea carry out a large-scale shelling of South Korea at the beginning of the new year?Ostensibly, this is a response to the U.S.-South Korean military exercises, showing North Korea's dissatisfaction and hostility towards the U.S.-South Korea alliance. But at a deeper level, this is also North Korea's active participation in the great power game in order to seek greater interests. On the one hand, North Korea has demonstrated its military strength and nuclear deterrence capability through its shelling, and has won more voice and respect for itself. On the other hand, North Korea is also pandering to Russia, using Russia's influence to gain more support and protection for itself.
Second, the tension on the peninsula is a product of a great power game, and Putin has dispersed international attention from the Russia-Ukraine conflict to the peninsula through North Korea's statement. For Putin, tensions on the peninsula mean distracting the United States from multiple theaters of war, gaining more leverage for Russia and making more favorable deals with the United States. Putin chose the peninsula because the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in the Middle East has cooled down and Israel has withdrawn its troops, which can no longer attract the attention of the United States. North Korea's tough stance has become Putin's ideal choice in the new great power game, and also because North Korea is a nuclear power with a unique geographical location, which can firmly capture the concerns of the United States.
Third, the change in the attitude of the DPRK leader means that the DPRK has given up the possibility of "peaceful reunification" and may take more active actions in the future. The leader of the DPRK said at a recent meeting that inter-Korean relations are no longer relations of the same nation, but of hostile countries. This change in attitude shows the DPRK's hostility and distrust of South Korea, as well as the DPRK's confidence and ambition in itself. The leader's directive made it clear that North Korea's military would be prepared to strike a devastating blow to the enemy if the United States and South Korea chose the path of confrontation, suggesting that North Korea could take more aggressive steps this year, including nuclear tests, missile launches, and even military conflicts.
Finally, North Korea's statements and leaders' instructions indicate that this could be a year of tension on the peninsula. New developments on the peninsula will play an important role in the great power game, and North Korea's nuclear power and geographical location will bring the peninsula issue into focus. The international community needs to pay attention to the future direction of the peninsula to avoid further escalation of the crisis. The peninsula is likely to become a new international focal point, influencing the evolution of the global landscape. Peace and security on the peninsula are not only related to the interests of the DPRK and the ROK, but also to the interests of major powers and, more importantly, to the interests of mankind. Peace and security on the peninsula require the joint efforts of the international community, the cooperation and compromise of the major powers, and the dialogue and communication between the DPRK and the ROK. Peace and security on the peninsula is the common aspiration and responsibility of mankind.