Speaking the same language

Joint U.S.-South Korean military exercises long ago became a matter of routine, as did North Korea's threats of retaliation. Even the participation of the advanced F-22 stealth fighter in the training of the American and South Korean militaries is nothing new. Despite this, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has chosen this time to get annoyed far beyond the customary level. His father Kim Jong-il was not known to be a particularly calm individual yet he knew how to restrain himself. Kim Jong-un, on the other hand, is now making big-time threats.

South Korea, in coordination with the U.S, has responded with threatening language of its own this time, perhaps because the U.S. and its allies in the region (South Korea and Japan) believe the regime in Pyongyang won't carry out its threats and Kim Jong-un is a new leader who has crossed the acceptable limit for fiery rhetoric. It is not difficult for South Korea to speak the same language as North Korea, given that they share the same peninsula.

South Korea is now promising a pre-emptive strike if North Korea continues its threats. South Korea's new president is very conservative. Park Geun-hye won't allow Kim Jong-un to go on a unchecked rampage. Three years ago, 46 South Korean sailors were killed when a torpedo struck their ship. The torpedo had North Korea's signature all over it, even if Pyongyang did not claim responsibility. The South Korea of 2010 took that very real blow from North Korea quietly while the South Korea of today won't accept even mere threats from North Korea.

South Korea, like the U.S., is worried about North Korea's ability to cause harm. No one really believes a war will occur, but there is concern about incidents initiated by Kim Jong-un's regime. In recent weeks, there was a successful cyberattack on South Korean banks and media outlets. Once again, suspicion was directed toward North Korea, which of course admitted nothing.

But the most interesting story is China's position in the region. Beijing has in effect been North Korea's only friend over the years. Even though 28,000 American troops remain in South Korea while Chinese forces returned home, the ties between North Korea and China are historic, economic, cultural and even ideological.

But Kim Jong-un has yet to visit China and China was not given advanced notice of North Korea's ballistic missile test in December and nuclear bomb test in February. Does this mean China is not putting pressure on North Korea? Or perhaps China no longer has the influence over Pyongyang that people think it has?

It is clear, however, that China has no interest in a war taking place on the Korean Peninsula. Such a war would end with a united Korea that is pro-U.S. That is certainly not in China's interest.

טעינו? נתקן! אם מצאתם טעות בכתבה, נשמח שתשתפו אותנו