On May 30th, North Korea (DPRK) launched a space satellite that crashed into the sea. But the event caused both South Korea and Japan to be on high alert. Residents of Seoul were awoken by an air raid siren and an emergency message telling them to evacuate the city. However, the emergency message was revoked 20 minutes later informing residents that it was an error. North Korea (DPRK) is expected to relaunch the space satellite on June 11th.

The United States and Japan condemned the launch claiming that it was a violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions. However, North Korea declared that the development of military satellites is a key component of the country’s defense system.

Both the United States and South Korea (ROK) have been conducting joint military drills for years. The joint military exercises that took place in March 2023 were the largest joint military field exercises in the past five years. Recently, on April 25th, President Biden of the United States also promised to dispatch a U.S. nuclear ballistic missile submarine to ROK. According to Pentagon spokesperson Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, these military tactics are also strictly aimed at promoting peace and stability in the region.

Peace, though, is not established with the development of more militarization. The more military action implemented the higher the risk of military conflict. As the world watches the ongoing war in Ukraine, it is warranted to be concerned about a potential conflict on the Korean Peninsula.

The best way to promote peace is to open up dialogue between the U.S. and North Korea (DPRK). But as long as military responses continue, both the DPRK and the U.S. hesitate to talk. National Security spokesman Adam Hodge stated, “The door has not closed on diplomacy but Pyongyang must immediately cease its provocative actions and instead choose engagement.”

Ironically, North Korea (DPRK) is also waiting for the same response from the United States. Unless the United States tones down their rhetoric and deescalates military action, North Korea is also not likely to engage in diplomatic discussions.

North Korea is specifically waiting for the U.S. to reduce both military drills and maximum pressure sanctions. North Korean distrust in the U.S. is rooted in previously failed promises. The United States has yet to follow through with any of their promises made at the Singapore Summit in 2018, whereas North Korea initially followed through with the return of U.S. soldier remains, release of U.S. detainees, and a temporary halt of its nuclear weapons program. As a result, North Korea is not likely to engage in dialogue until the U.S. puts action to their words, the least of these which would be to downsize military responses.

Of foremost interest to North Korea is declaring an end to the Korean War. This is because the tension on the Korean Peninsula is rooted in trauma caused by the war. With the signing of only an Armistice Agreement, the Korean conflict has now been at a stand-still for over 70 years. With the goal of peace, this coming week from June 5-9, Korea Peace Now! is hosting meetings with members of Congress and the Senate advocating for Peace on the Korean Peninsula Act (H.R. 1369).

This year is particularly significant because July 27th marks the 70th Anniversary of the signing the Armistice Agreement. Due to the U.S. leading the UN forces in the Korean War, only the U.S. has the power to officially declare an end to the war, which has become the longest conflict in U.S. history!

To end the nuclear threat, rather than increased militarization diplomatic strategies are needed. Of foremost of these strategies is to negate the fundamental reason for having nuclear weapons, that is to shift from a state of war into a state of peace. Current nuclear weapons development is only plausible because of the precarious state of war.

From July 27-28, 2023, Korea Peace Now! is converging in Washington D.C. to call on President Biden and Congress to officially replace the armistice with a peace agreement finally ending the Korean War. It is time for the U.S. to end to this decades-long conflict and reduce the risk of nuclear warfare on the Korean Peninsula. Contact your state representatives and ask them to put an end to the Korean War.