Due to North Korea and its growing nuclear power, tensions and security concerns in the Asia-Pacific region are increasing. As these concerns become more serious, tensions between states are escalating. As a matter of fact, countries come face to face more and more day by day and the events that take place increase the possibility of hot conflict. Because this possibility comes to the fore especially in the eyes of countries such as South Korea, which feel the danger of North Korea very closely.
As a matter of fact, on December 26, 2022, five North Korean drones entered South Korean airspace for the first time since 2017. Lee Seung-o, one of the officials of the South Korean General Staff, said that the warning shot was fired first. At the same time, Lee said that North Korean planes entered South Korean airspace for espionage purposes, and Seoul fired about a hundred shots, but did not shoot down any Pyongyang planes. He stated that they did not know whether these planes were flown back to North Korea, but that a South Korean plane had been sent to the North Korean border to take pictures.[1] After this incident, the tension between the parties increased. The situation has also deepened security concerns in the region. Because the two countries have come to the brink of a hot conflict.
Another issue that worries South Korea is the decision of the Seoul administration to increase its defense budget. On December 26, 2022, the Ministry of Defense of South Korea announced that Seoul will increase its total defense budget to $ 44.7 billion for 2023. “South Korea has agreed to strengthen its military capacity to respond to North Korea’s missile and nuclear threats,” the Defense Ministry said in a statement.[2]
At the same time, the Ministry of Unification of South Korea increased its budget for North Korea’s work on human rights.[3] As a matter of fact, this situation can be read as South Korea’s desire to increase the pressure on North Korea both in terms of military and democratic values. Because it can be predicted that Seoul will want the West to intensify its pressure on Pyongyang, especially by accelerating the work on human rights.
All these developments show that South Korea will carry out a more proactive foreign policy in the near future due to the danger of North Korea, and at the same time, it will carry its defense capacity to more modern levels. However, there is no expectation that the Pyongyang administration will reduce its ballistic and nuclear tests. Because North Korea is also taking steps indicating that it will follow tougher policies in 2023.
First of all, the Korean Central News Agency, the official news agency of North Korea, pointed to this by including North Korean President Kim Jong-un’s appreciation of his country’s economic and military capacity in the opening speech of the annual meeting of the Workers’ Party of North Korea on December 27, 2022. Because, Kim called on the country to start “more exciting and confident challenges” in 2023. Kim also emphasized that North Korea should determine new strategies for this purpose in the coming years.[4] As a result, Pyongyang is not expected to take a step back, at least in the short term.
As a result, tensions are escalating in the Asia-Pacific region in general and in the Seoul-Pyongyang line in particular. There is no indication of a decrease in blood pressure. As a matter of fact, Pyongyang continues its proactive policies and strategy of increasing its nuclear power. This, in turn, increases the security concerns of the states in the region and causes these countries to focus on defense policies by increasing their military expenditures.
[1] “South Korea Fires Shots, Sends Jets After Inavding North Drones”, Al Jazeera, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/12/26/south-korea-fires-warning-shots-as-norths-drones-enters-airspace, (Date of Accession: 28.12.2022).
[2] “Seoul Greenlights 2023 Projects to Develop Defenses Against North Korea”, NK News, https://www.nknews.org/2022/12/seoul-greenlights-2023-projects-to-develop-defenses-against-north-korea/, (Date of Accession: 28.12.2022).
[3] Ibid.
[4] “North Korea’s Kim Hails Economic, Military Successes at Meeting”, Al Jazeera, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/12/27/north-koreas-kim-claims-military-economic-successes-at-meeting, (Date of Accession: 28.12.2022).
