- home
- article
- North Korea's Balloon Propaganda Sparks Tensions Ahead of Korean War Anniversary
North Korea's Balloon Propaganda Sparks Tensions Ahead of Korean War Anniversary
The 74th anniversary of the start of the three-year Korean War has been marked by South Korea, with concerns growing over the regime of Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang. The war began on June 25, 1950, when North Korean troops crossed the border into South Korea. In recent days, tensions have escalated with North Korea issuing threats of retaliation against South Korea. Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, issued a threat on Friday after South Korean activists launched balloons carrying anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets across the border. Meanwhile, suspected North Korean balloons have been spotted in South Korea, with one balloon seen flying over northern Gyeonggi Province and another entering the sky above Seoul. The city's Metropolitan government sent out a push notification alerting residents of the presence of the balloon.
Kim has been emboldened by Putin's support and we in the South must be prepared for a worst-case scenario, although we must also remember that this is a relationship of desperation on both sides.
And if Putin does send more weapons to the North, then we have to send weapons to Ukraine. There is no choice.
North Korea has nuclear weapons and long-range ballistic missiles.
We just do not know if Kim believes he is strong enough to attack, if Russia will support him and whether he will resort to nuclear weapons.
China was primitive in 1950, but it is a superpower with nuclear weapons today. And Russia has very recently become the North's military ally and the pact they have signed says they have to go to each other's assistance if one of them is attacked.
The big question is around the commitment of the US to the security of the South and while I believe we can still count on Washington, there are too many variables about what that support might look like, especially after the elections in November.
When you do something you were clearly warned not to do, it's only natural that you will find yourself dealing with something you didn't have to.
North-South Korea Conflict
- North Korea fires flurry of short-range ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan
- South Korea fires warning shots after North Korean soldiers cross border
- North Korea fires several ballistic missiles into the sea as South Korea begins annual drills with the US
sources
perspectives
- 1.US Foreign Policy
- 2.Russian Foreign Policy
- 3.Chinese Foreign Policy
- 4.Intercontinental Ballistic Missile
- 5.Nuclear Weapons
- 6.Japanese Foreign Policy
- 7.North-South Korea Conflict
- 8.South Korea Foreign Policy
- 9.South Korean politics
- 10.North Korea Nuclear Posture
- 11.Conflict
countries
- 1.China
- 2.Japan
- 3.Korea, Democratic People's Republic of
- 4.Korea, Republic of
- 5.Russian Federation
- 6.Ukraine
- 7.United States
- 8.Viet Nam
organizations
persons
- 1.Kim Jong-Un
- 2.Kim Yo Jong
- 3.Vladimir Putin
- 4.Kim Il Sung
- 5.Kim Sang-Woo
- 6.Mike Valerio
- 7.Park Sang-Hak
- 8.Rah Jong-Yil