West's blind spot: North Korea's rising military threat
The West ignores the threat from North Korea at its own peril, claims Gideon Rachman, chief foreign affairs commentator for the "Financial Times." According to him, the Kim Jong Un regime has significant military potential that can impact the situation in both Europe and Asia.
Rachman notes that Pyongyang is strengthening its cooperation with Moscow, which he considers the most "dramatic" evidence of a "hostile axis" involving Russia, North Korea, Iran, and China. However, he argues that among these countries, it is North Korea that receives the least attention from the West.
Experts on the Korean Peninsula, cited by the "Financial Times," highlight that Kim Jong Un abandoned efforts to improve relations with the United States several years ago and shifted towards confrontation with Seoul and Washington. In January, experts Robert Carlin and Siegfried Hecker warned that "Kim Jong Un has made a strategic decision to go to war", reports the columnist.
In the same month, the North Korean leader announced the abandonment of the long-standing goal of reunification with the South, and in June, he signed a mutual military assistance treaty with Russia. Recently, Pyongyang demolished roads connecting the two Koreas.
The author observes that despite poverty, North Korea is not regressive in every way. - Poverty in North Korea doesn't imply the regime is backward in every aspect. It rather signifies that Kim prioritises military development over the well-being of ordinary people - Rachman notes. Despite international isolation, Kim's regime has managed to build nuclear weapons, develop ballistic missile programmes, and attain the capability to conduct cyberattacks.
North Korea sends soldiers to Ukraine. "Cannon fodder"
The "Financial Times" commentator also refers to reports of North Korean soldiers taking part in Russia's war against Ukraine. Although 10,000 soldiers from North Korea won't decide the conflict's outcome, Kim's army has 1.3 million soldiers in active service, who could be utilised by Moscow as "cannon fodder."
According to Rachman, Kim Jong Un could benefit from technology transfers and financial support from Russia. Moreover, he might consider a potential conflict on the Korean Peninsula. - If he supports Russia in a European war, will Russia one day reciprocate in an Asian conflict? – the columnist ponders.
Increasing tensions on the Korean Peninsula might also be advantageous to Beijing, complicating the U.S. defence of Taiwan if China attempts aggression on the island.
Rachman emphasizes that the West may soon face a tough decision: allow Russia to defeat Ukraine with North Korea's help or significantly boost support for Kyiv. The "Financial Times" notes that the USA, EU, and South Korea have tried to avoid escalation in both Ukraine and the Korean Peninsula, but the situation may demand decisive action.
