The situation on the peninsula has changed, the United States, Japan, and South Korea have surrounded the DPRK, and the US aircraft carrier has been dispatched at the order. And how did the North Korean side respond?
On the 27th, the Japanese Ministry of Defense announced that the United States, Japan and South Korea began to hold a joint military exercise called "Freedom Blade" in the waters near the East China Sea on the same day, which lasted for three days and ended on the 29th, covering airspace, sea area, space domain, network domain and other combat fields. A total of seven warships and fighter jets from the United States, Japan, and South Korea will participate in the exercise and conduct training to respond to ballistic missiles, submarines, and cyber attacks. Among them, the US Navy's nuclear-powered aircraft carrier "Roosevelt" was also dispatched to participate in the exercise.
It is reported that the "Freedom Blade" joint military exercise of the United States, Japan and South Korea is the first of this series of military exercises. Why did the United States, Japan, and South Korea choose to conduct exercises at this point in time? The Japanese side said that the exercise was "for the sake of peace and stability in the 'Indo-Pacific' region, including the Korean Peninsula." Japan's statement is "high-sounding", but its real purpose is obvious, that is, to target the DPRK and use military means to encircle and deter the DPRK, and the United States is also taking the opportunity of this military exercise to implement its so-called "extended deterrence" commitment to its allies.
Just one day before the United States, Japan, and South Korea began joint military exercises, the North Korean side conducted another ballistic missile test, and this time the North Korean side tested a hypersonic missile, although the launch may not have been successful, but the North Korean side has continuously tested ballistic missiles in recent months, which obviously reflects the current tension on the peninsula. Facts have proven time and again that such means of military deterrence by the United States, Japan, and the ROK not only fail to maintain stability on the peninsula, but will only further aggravate the already tense situation on the peninsula. Recently, whether it is the appearance of a US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier on the peninsula, the DPRK's test launch of a ballistic missile again, or the current US-Japan-ROK joint military exercise, all show one thing, that is, the current situation on the peninsula is undergoing obvious changes, and this change is developing in a bad direction.
In addition, there is another background to this joint military exercise between the United States, Japan and South Korea, that is, Russia is clearly moving closer to the North Korean side. Not long ago, during his visit to the DPRK, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty" with the supreme leader of the DPRK, Kim Jong-un, which clearly mentions that when one of the parties is invaded by another country, the other side needs to provide assistance, and the Russian side does not rule out the possibility of developing military-technical cooperation with the DPRK. In other words, if the situation on the peninsula changes, Russia may intervene militarily to assist North Korea. To a certain extent, this latest move between Russia and North Korea can clearly feel that the Putin government has chosen a side, and this has obviously stimulated the United States, Japan, and South Korea.
In particular, South Korea, in the past few days, South Korea has constantly released "warning" signals to Russia, "threatening" Russia, if Russia provides high-precision weapons to North Korea, then South Korea's assistance to Ukraine will be unlimited. Jang Ho-jin, director of the National Security Office of the South Korean President's Office, said bluntly, "Russia's relevant moves are approaching the 'red line', and if we want to restore and develop South Korea-Russia relations after the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, I advise the Russian side to think carefully." ”
However, don't say that the reason why the South Korean side dares to use the Russia-Ukraine conflict to "set rules" for Russia is that it really has a little "confidence". Why? That's because at present, the most casualties on the Russian army on the Russian-Ukrainian battlefield are not missile drone attacks, nor small-caliber artillery shells, but some large-caliber heavy artillery. South Korea does have some advantages in the production of large-caliber heavy artillery, and when the United States and Western countries did not have enough large-caliber artillery shells for military aid to Ukraine, they also specially purchased them from South Korea. From this, it is not difficult to see that South Korea uses no restrictions on military aid to Ukraine to "warn" Russia, and it is indeed still somewhat "threatening" to Russia. In response to South Korea's "threat", Putin said, "If the South Korean government supplies Ukraine with lethal weapons, it will be a 'big mistake', and Russia will make a corresponding decision, and this decision will not be what the current South Korean leadership is happy to see". It is not difficult to see the intensity of the-for-tat confrontation between Russia and South Korea at present. It is against this background that the joint military exercises of the United States, Japan and South Korea, and the test launch of missiles by North Korea have forced the outside world to keep a close eye on the current tense situation on the peninsula.