LiNK nr. 38 May II edition 2013

Korean peninsula are closely related to the militarized relationship between America and South Korea. The development of the situation in the spring of 2013 can largely be attributed to the massive US and South-Korean military exercises that were being held just off the Korean coastline. The project, as well as including a number of large warships, had a US nuclear submarine sailing painfully close to North Korean territory. When the foreseeable reaction to this indimitating behavior came from Pyongyang, threats of war and bloodshed, the US responded by introducing a new set of economic sanctions against the North Korean state in the UN, a tool that the United States has used unsparingly against the impoverished country throughout the years. The promise that this newest and current set of sanction would “bite hard” and “really get the North Koreans to reconsider” sounded rather hollow to those knowledgeable about the situation, as they’ve usually had the opposite effect. The further threats of aggression that came from North Korea after the imposed sanctions, with promises of nuclear missiles that would reach all the way to Washington, surprised very few speculants.

The fact of the matter is that the Americans, with their overblown military control and presence in the neighboring state have all the cards in their hand when it comes to neutralizing the situation. But instead of trying to find a new approaches or compromises to the conflict, the US defense secretary announced an increased 1 billion $ in US military spending in the Pacific.

This of course means an increased military infrastructure and jobs in South Korea (never any 13