Increased Possibility of Additional Military Response by North Korea in 'Korean Peninsula Strong vs Strong' Situation

Vice President Harris Visits Korea, Focus on North Korea Response
Increased Likelihood of Continued Hardline Stance by North Korea

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo In-ho] With important events related to the Korean Peninsula situation scheduled this week, including the visit of U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris to Korea on the 29th, the possibility of additional military provocations by North Korea has increased.

As our government has stepped up pressure on North Korea through trilateral cooperation with the U.S. and Japan, North Korea responded with missile launches, putting the Korean Peninsula situation into a strong confrontation phase.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to diplomatic sources on the 26th, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, who is leading a condolence delegation to Japan to attend the state funeral of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe the next day, will visit Korea on the 29th to discuss security issues such as North Korea's nuclear and missile threats with President Yoon Suk-yeol.

During her visit, Vice President Harris is expected to meet with President Yoon Suk-yeol to discuss the Korea-U.S. alliance, North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, and responses to the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act.

In this regard, a senior Biden administration official recently stated, "Vice President Harris will emphasize the importance of the Korea-U.S. alliance during her meeting with President Yoon and discuss the threats posed by North Korea and the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait," adding, "They will also discuss expanding economic and technological cooperation between the two countries as well as regional and global issues."

The U.S. Vice President's visit to Korea is the first in about four years and six months since then-Vice President Mike Pence visited Korea during the PyeongChang Winter Olympics in February 2018.

North Korea is strongly responding to the strengthening of the Korea-U.S. alliance. The ballistic missile launch by North Korea into the East Sea the day before is also interpreted as being related to Vice President Harris's visit and the Korea-U.S. naval joint exercises.

On the 23rd, the U.S. carrier strike group, including the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, guided missile cruiser USS Chancellorsville, and Aegis destroyer USS Barry, entered the Busan operational base and is scheduled to conduct joint exercises with the Republic of Korea Navy.

In this context, there are expectations that North Korea will continue its hardline responses. Experts also note that North Korea's failure to issue a statement regarding the ballistic missile launch the day before suggests it is likely maintaining a tough stance.

As of 9 a.m. on the day, Korean Central News Agency, Korean Central Broadcasting Station, and the Workers' Party organ newspaper Rodong Sinmun have not mentioned at all the ballistic missile launched from the Taechon area in North Pyongan Province into the East Sea the previous day.

Since May, North Korea has maintained silence regardless of the success or failure of missile launches. For example, although North Korea launched two cruise missiles on the 17th of last month, state media did not mention it.

Professor Park Won-gon of Ewha Womans University’s Department of North Korean Studies said, "North Korea's silence conveys the message that its defense capability enhancement is a routine procedure and plan, as other countries also do," adding, "By not providing exact details about the missile launch itself, it also makes it difficult for Korea and the U.S. to make intelligence assessments."