North Korea Resumes Provocations Amid Ukraine Crisis... What Lies Behind?

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Amid rising tensions in the international community due to the Ukraine crisis, North Korea resumed missile provocations on the 27th. This marks the eighth time since the beginning of the new year and about 28 days since January 30. Experts view this as an "expected step" and predict that provocations may become routine going forward.

Professor Park Won-gon of Ewha Womans University’s Department of North Korean Studies explained, "North Korea’s missile provocations were an expected step," adding, "They resumed missile launches that had been restrained during the Beijing Olympics."

Professor Park also interpreted that Kim Jong-un, General Secretary of the Workers' Party of North Korea, expressing in a verbal letter sent to Chinese President Xi Jinping on the 22nd, urging to "crush the persistent hostile policies and military threats of the United States and its followers," was also a declaration of intent to resume provocations.

With the conclusion of the Beijing Winter Olympics and a certain degree of position-setting on the Ukraine crisis, Professor Park forecasts that North Korea will continue to normalize provocations. On the 26th, North Korea defined the Ukraine crisis as "caused by the imperialistic coercion and tyranny of the United States" in a research paper issued under the name of the International Political Studies Association.

Professor Yang Moo-jin of the University of North Korean Studies interpreted, "This is a countermeasure in response to our side’s long-range surface-to-air missile (L-SAM) launch on the 23rd," and added, "It also contains the intention to probe the U.S. reaction to a two-front situation amid the Ukraine crisis."

Professor Yang added, "Domestically, it is to strengthen self-defensive military power, and externally, to demonstrate presence. Especially, there is an intention to highlight the North Korean issue during our presidential election."

With North Korea’s provocations, tensions on the Korean Peninsula are expected to peak in April, when the joint South Korea-U.S. military exercises and Kim Il-sung’s birthday (Day of the Sun, April 15) take place. Professor Yang predicted, "After the new government takes office in May, there will likely be opportunities for dialogue," emphasizing that "stable management of the Korean Peninsula situation is an urgent task in relation to the presidential election and the Ukraine crisis."

Meanwhile, the Joint Chiefs of Staff announced via a text message to the press corps that "North Korea fired an unidentified projectile in an eastward direction." Military authorities promptly notify the media when ballistic missiles are detected, so it is highly likely to be a ballistic missile. Specific details are still under analysis.

The Blue House held an emergency standing committee meeting of the National Security Council (NSC), chaired by National Security Office Director Suh Hoon, to review the situation and discuss countermeasures.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.