South Korea and the U.S. began annual joint military drills to strengthen readiness against potential North Korean aggression. The program called the Ulchi Freedom Shield, involves conducting drills that reflect “realistic threats” involving 19,000 troops and addressing not only missile threats but also GPS jamming and cyberattacks. This annual program comes at a time of heightened tensions in which the pace of weapon demonstrations from both North and South Korea has reached a feverish pitch.

In a cabinet meeting, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol stated: “We are currently facing the most reckless and irrational North Korean provocations and threats in the world,” adding that “In recent years, they have not hesitated to launch GPS jamming attacks and make low-grade provocations such as launching trash balloons.”

North Korea has historically responded negatively to these annual drills even previously saying that they were “dangerous and grave.”Just last year, North Korean state media had warned that the drills could trigger a “thermonuclear war.” Kim Myung-soo, head of Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff has ordered troops to “closely monitor and analyze the activities of the DMZ” and “retaliate immediately if the enemy provokes.”

The purpose of military drills is to be a demonstration of a state’s military power and capability, which is an act that has inherent connotations of aggression. The vicious cycle that these outward displays of military power perpetuate continuously escalates tensions, discouraging an environment conducive to peace talks and negotiations. While the U.S. and South Korea have stated that the purpose of these drills is to maintain joint readiness and streamline interoperability, the act itself is simply a discouragement towards any North Korean aggression. While it may be a defensive action, the security dilemma necessitates that despite the purpose of the action, opposing states will always view these demonstrations as a threat or an act of aggression. On the other hand, negotiations with an extremely volatile North Korea do not seem to be a viable option either. The U.S. and South Korea can discourage North Korean aggression nonviolently by publicly affirming and strengthening their alliance and diplomatic ties through non-military platforms. 

North Korea and South Korea have a long and contentious history dating back to the once unified country’s split during World War II. The countries are divided by a border, but more significantly, political ideology. While South Korea has emerged as a democratic country with growing economic and cultural significance, North Korea established a dictatorship with growing military and nuclear power. The U.S.’s alliance with South Korea was established through their democratic ties, but strategically, South Korea is a democratic front bordering a nondemocratic country that the U.S. has largely deemed dangerous among the likes of China and Russia. The continuous tension between democratic states and nondemocratic states has determined many points of conflict on the world map today. 

The U.S. and South Korea’s joint military drills may be necessary as a defensive move, however, the message that this sends to North Korea has been interpreted as aggression. In an area so volatile as the Korean peninsula it is imperative to tread carefully and consider nonviolent options that will not escalate tensions. The continuation of these military drills and the consistently negative reactions from North Korea are a sure sign of the direction that Korean Peninsula relations are heading in if aggression continues to permeate these interactions.