Will Pyongyang’s NATO Tirades Pay Dividends?
Jagannath P. Panda
Introduction:
As the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit was being held in Madrid, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (DPRK or North Korea) state media outlet Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) published a commentary that called NATO a “perpetrator of the US hegemonic strategy” and indicted the Republic of Korea (ROK; South Korea) for shaking NATO’s “dark” hands. The DPRK accused NATO of bringing disaster to Eastern Europe and now “turning its sinister eyes” to the Indo-Pacific.[1]
North Korea’s aggressive rhetoric against the US, its regional allies and NATO has strengthened since the war started in Ukraine in support of China and Russia, echoing especially Beijing’s fear of an “Asian NATO” materializing in the Indo-Pacific. Furthermore, the Ukraine war has provided North Korea a unique opportunity to not just distract attention from its expanding missile and nuclear programs, but also put multidirectional pressure on the US and its European and Asian allies.
Related Publications
-
Will Yoon’s Indo-Pacific Strategy Tackle the China Threat?
In late-December 2022, South Korea under the relatively new presidency of Yoon Suk-yeol effectively concluded its policy shift from “strategic ambiguity” by releasing the “Strategy for a Free, Peaceful, and […]
-
Did Nancy Pelosi’s Taiwan Trip Close the Thucydides Trap?
This article was originally posted on The National Interest’s website, you can find the article here. Chinese state media has declared the U.S. House of Representatives speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit […]
-
Japan’s Stance on a United Korea: Ambivalence or Realpolitik?
Introduction: Northeast Asia is at a critical juncture amid the gross uncertainty and chaos brought upon by geopolitical forces not just in the region but globally too. A wide range […]
-
Yoon’s Plan to Ditch Strategic Ambiguity Will Test US-ROK Alliance, DPRK Policy
Introduction: While Yoon has questioned the Moon administration’s policy of strategic ambiguity with regard to the U.S.-China rivalry, the new South Korean President will likely find it difficult to abandon […]
-
South Korea’s Indo-Pacific Strategy: Quest for Clarity and Global Leadership
Less than a year after the Joe Biden administration released the latest US Indo-Pacific strategy, the Republic of Korea (ROK) unveiled its own “Strategy for a Free, Peaceful and Prosperous […]
-
Kishida’s New Era Realism in National Security and India Diplomacy
The Ukraine war and double threat from China and North Korea in Japan’s backyard have pushed Tokyo to update national security plans and step up India ties. On December 16, […]