War games have passively pitted North Korea against both South Korea and the United States. On July 28th, a North Korean diplomat told Washington that the country essentially declared war when the US placed sanctions on the leader of North Korea, Kim Jong Un. Additionally, North Korea has cut ties with their United Nations diplomats, and the country’s involvement with UN activity is minimal.
In response to the strong rhetoric, Han Song Ryol, director-general of the U.S. Affairs Department at the North’s Foreign Ministry, said, “In the view of cause and effect, it is the U.S. that provided the cause of our possession of nuclear forces.We never hide the fact, and we are very proud of the fact that we have very strong nuclear deterrent forces not only to cope with the United States’ nuclear blackmail but also to neutralize the nuclear blackmail of the United States.”
As a result of the anti-missile system the US deployed in South Korea following the War Games, North Korean diplomats said the US and South Korea would "suffer from the nightmare extreme uneasiness and terror." Quoted by the North Korean People’s Army, the communist army uses fear tactics to prevent the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) from being implemented. This system would protect both the American soldiers based in South Korea and the nation alike. These military units would be able to protect themselves by shooting down medium international ballistic missiles.
The country’s affairs with the US now fall under “war law” as tensions continue to rise. The Demilitarized Zone separating North and South Korea is also a site of conflict as more missile launches are being plotted and carried out. Last week, North Korea’s failed attempt at shooting underwater ballistic missiles created fear in the South. Although the plan was unsuccessful, South Korean analytics believes that within five years, the country will have access to fully developed submarines with missiles. This is extremely dangerous for other nations as the missiles can evade navy radars along the US coast, and they would be capable of firing missiles before being detected. This may affect states such as California and Hawaii in particular. The US anti-ballistic missile weaponry that currently exists in South Korea may not be effective enough to combat the new missiles North Korea has been testing, which go beyond the power of missile shooters.
Last year, North Korea attempted to defuse tensions by agreeing to cease its nuclear program, but recent developments are causing the nation to revisit past feuds. The UN has declared their actions “a clear violation of [the] U.N. Security Council Resolution." The closing of US-DPRK contact through Washington represents a major change as both parties refused to comply due to a sense of entitlement. Moreover, the THAAD deployment has prompted a return of alliances. Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi sides with North Korea, remarking that the program is unjustified. Thus leaving the US and South Korea concerned about potential retaliation.
