Korean Peninsula — 9DASHLINE

The significance of North Korea's spy satellite launch for regional security

Written by Wooyun Jo

The spy satellite launch reinforces the need for vigilant monitoring and surveillance to assess the capabilities and intentions of North Korea, as well as to strengthen regional defence against potential nuclear missile attacks.

East Asia9DLJanuary 17, 20249dashline, The significance of North Korea's spy satellite launch for regional security, Wooyun Jo, North Korea, spy satellite, regional security, MALLIGYONG-1, South Korea, US, Japan, Korean Peninsula, Missile Technology Control Regime, satellite technology, Russia, critical technologies, heavy artillery ammunition, Moscow, Russia-Ukraine war, Ukraine, technology transfer, military capabilities, spy satellite launch, inter-Korean relationship, Pyongyang, technological advancement, espionage, hostile nations, regional security dynamics, countering threats, detecting threats, long-range ballistic missile technology, United Nations, United Nations resolutions, UNSC, Vann Van Diepen, new technology, troop movements, strategic advantages, nuclear deterrence, intercontinental ballistic missiles, ICBMs, submarine-launched ballistic missiles, SLBMs, strategic bombers, intelligence-gathering capabilities, strategic assets, real-time intelligence, missiles technology, ballistic missile tests, security interests, regional allies, Yoon Suk-yeol, satellite launch, threat perception, nuclear tensions, space programme, missile capabilities, regional cooperation, deterrence measures, ROK-US-Japan, surveillance, security cooperation, General Security of Military Information Agreement, GSOMIA, Tokyo, ballistic missile defence drill, anti-submarine exercises, trilaterals, missile defence systems, joint military exercises, sanctions, nuclear programmes, missile programmes, economic sanctions, Seoul, Washington

Italy and the Indo-Pacific: towards an Italian Indo-Pacific strategy

Written by Dr Gabriele Abbondanza

All things considered, it seems evident that Italy is ready to develop and issue a formal Indo-Pacific strategy that considers national, European, and Indo-Pacific interests as vital components of a strategic whole.

Europe and the Indo-Pacific9DLDecember 6, 20239dashline, Italy and the Indo-Pacific: towards an Italian Indo-Pacific strategy, Gabriele Abbondanza, Indo-Pacific, Italy, flashpoints, Taiwan, East China Seas, South China Seas, Korean Peninsula, choke points, global maritime trade, Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, Strait of Hormuz, Strait of Malacca, macro-region, US, Indo-Pacific nations, Europe, IPSR, International Political Science Review, European foreign policy, France, UK, Germany, EU, European Union, Indo-Pacific strategy, Indo-Pacific committee, Italian parliament, naval deployments, Rome, Enlarged Mediterranean, Mediterraneo Allargato, United Nations, Carabiniere frigate, European missions, NATO missions, Indian Ocean, Indo-Pacific mission, Morosini offshore patrol vessel, offshore patrol vessels, South China Sea, multilateral exercises, Cavour carrier strike group, international law, multilateralism, strategic partnerships, China, beijing, international order, Pacific Island Forum, PIF, Vietnam, South Korea, Indian Ocean Rim Association, IORA, ASEAN, Italian-Indian-Japanese trilateral, Japan, Global Combat Air Programme, Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative, multilateral approach, strategic compass, political affiliation, foreign policy priorities, Chamber of Deputies, parliamentary committee, risk-benefit analysis

Japan’s defence plans: What matters is implementation

Written by Dr Ryo Hinata-Yamaguchi

Without continuous efforts in Japan including securing monetary and political capital — together with coordinating and cooperating with regional partners — Tokyo’s push for defence modernisation will face a myriad of challenges going forward.

East Asia9DLMay 8, 2023Japan’s defence plans: what matters is implementation, 9DashLine, Ryo Hinata-Yamaguchi, Japan, defence, military, National Security Strategy (NSS), National Defense Strategy (NDS), Defense Buildup Program (DBP), pacifism, Japan’s pacifist constitution, Tokyo, Japan Self-Defense Force (JSDF), counterattacks, military readiness, defence planning, National Defense Program Guidelines, China, North Korea, Russia, threats, Beijing, Moscow, Pyongyang, conflict, warfare, military modernisation, strike capabilities, nuclear doctrine, preemptive strikes, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Russia-Ukraine war, hybrid warfare, psychological warfare, cognitive warfare, capabilities, resilience, hypervelocity gliding projectiles, Okinawa, Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, Japan Air Self-Defense Force, defence budget, US-Japan alliance, Korean Peninsula, Taiwan Strait, US-Japan-South Korea trilateral coordination, Seoul, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, free and open Indo-Pacific, Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), NATO, Southeast Asia, rule of law, security dilemma

“Nuke for nuke” — Kim Jong-un’s audacious escalation gambit

Written by Kylie Jones

To avoid a devasting conflict, the United States needs to persuade Kim Jong-un that salvaging relations between the two countries is in his best interest.

In Brief with Benedikt Staar

I do not see how reintroducing nuclear weapons to the southern side of the peninsula will make Pyongyang more willing to engage in dialogue. Besides anything else, such a move is much more likely to destabilise the region further and strengthen the Pyongyang-Beijing axis.

2023: South Korea and nuclear ambitions

Should South Korea develop its own nuclear weapons? 9DASHLINE invites a select group of experts to assess the viability of this proposition and its potential impact.

East Asia9DLJanuary 27, 20239dashline, 2023: South Korea and nuclear ambitions, ELISABETH SUH, DR ERIC J. BALLBACH, South Korea, North Korea, Korean Peninsula, nuclear, nuclear weapons, missile launches, nuclear-armed regime, nuclear imbalance, Seoul, independent arsenal, US tactical nuclear weapons, US, US-South Korea alliance, Washington, Joint Declaration on Denuclearization, nuclear arms race, nuclear program, Yoon Suk-yeol, nuclear capabilities, ballistic missile tests, artificial nuclear warheads, military command facilities, nuclear-sharing arrangement, nuclearisation, defence budget, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, ISR, nuclear proliferation, nuclear deterrence, civilian nuclear power program, military program, weapons-grade fissile material, nuclear explosives, nuclear warheads, Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, NPT, international sanctions, 123 Agreement, conventional triad, air and missile defence systems, Short-Range Ballistic Missiles, medium-range ballistic missiles, long-range cruise missiles, defensive missile technologies, offensive missile technologies, pre-emptive strikes, retaliatory strikes, forward-deployed tactical nuclear weapons, US extended deterrence, China, Article X, negotiation, non-proliferation regime, global non-proliferation regime, DR IN YOUNG MIN, DR MIN-HYUNG KIM

The Korean Peninsula: Lessons from Russia's aggression against Ukraine

Written by Oskar Pietrewicz

The different reactions of South Korea and North Korea to the Russian invasion, the deepening Chinese-Russian cooperation, and US efforts to strengthen alliances, may perpetuate tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

South Korea eyes Europe for its future

Written by Eunwoo Lee

South Korea, whose external engagement has so far revolved around the intractable security stances of the US and China, can surely hedge its security interests by embracing Europe.

Why China will not cooperate with the United States on North Korea

Written by Anny Boc

China’s public support in February for Russia’s position on opposing further NATO expansion reflects its own long harboured concern about US’ intent to establish an Asian version of NATO.

In Brief: Tereza Novotna — South Korea Associate at 9DASHLINE

This week we are delighted to announce the arrival of Tereza Novotna as our new South Korea Associate. In joining our expanding network of associates her arrival marks the next stage of our development in seeking to connect Europe and the Indo-Pacific.

Human Rights, China and the Winter Olympics — can democratic unity prevail?

Written by Zsuzsa Anna Ferenczy

After Taiwan opened a representative office in Lithuania under its own name, Beijing didn’t only retaliate bilaterally, but it went after Lithuania’s trading partners in Europe, undermining the integrity of the European single market.

An enduring crisis: Assessing the state of Japan’s North Korea policy

Written by Sebastian Maslow

With the US pushing its agenda of ‘integrated deterrence’ in Asia and North Korea testing new missiles, pressure on Japan to obtain capabilities to strike enemy bases will likely gain further momentum.

Pacific9DLDecember 9, 20219DASHLINE, Sebastian Maslow, North Korea, Japan, Tokyo, Pyongyang, LDP, DPRK, Korean Peninsula, Axis of Evil, Northeast Asia, Article 9, Human Rights, Abe, ballistic missile defence, F-35, Aegis Ashore, Aegis, PAC-3, integrated deterrence, Kishida

Indigenous deterrence capabilities and inter-Korean relations

Written by Elisabeth Suh

The upcoming presidential elections in March 2022 will set Seoul’s tone for the next five years. Which scenario is more likely to unfold in the medium-term, however, depends also on North Korea and the broader geopolitical setting.

East Asia9DLNovember 24, 20219DASHLINE, ELISABETH SUH, North Korea, Pyongyang, South Korea, Korean War, Demilitarized Zone, DMZ, 38th parallel, Seoul, Korean Peninsula, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, Plutonium, Tritium, Yongbyon, Kim Jong-un, Joe Varner, submarines, F-35, Hyunmoo, China, Russia, US, United States, Australia, Japan, Taiwan, Beijing

Heating up: An arms race on the Korean Peninsula

Written by Joe Varner

North Korea, on the other hand, has in the last month made clear it is going nowhere. It is bound and determined to hold Washington’s feet to the fire, holding its bases in the region, US cities and their populations hostage now and for the foreseeable future.