In one corner of the world, war is raging and conflict is intensifying. This time, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict has become the focus of global attention, and South Korea in the Far East has fallen into tension and worry. It's an existential battle, and the South Korean military's moves at this critical moment are in the spotlight.
The story begins on October 7, when Hamas carries out a successful raid on Israel, escalating the entire conflict to a new level. In the face of Hamas's armed forces, Israel has suffered a heavy blow, despite its absolute military superiority. The scene caused an unusual change in South Korea, as the government and military began to examine their armaments and response capabilities.
Yoon Seok-hyeok, South Korea's president, has long taken a tough stance against North Korea. Soon after he took office, South Korea's military staged its first large-scale military parade in 10 years to demonstrate a firmer military attitude to North Korea. However, a successful Hamas raid alarmed his government and began a new round of military preparations for a future North Korean threat.
On October 7, South Korea's new defense minister, Shin Won, inspected the ROK military and emphasized the counterfire system to counter North Korea's long-range artillery. He made it clear that South Korean forces must completely destroy North Korea's long-range artillery within hours to ensure the safety of the peninsula. This military development shows that the South Korean government is worried and tense about the future situation on the Korean Peninsula.
However, South Korea's concerns are not without reason. Israel, as a country with absolute military superiority, has repeatedly suffered setbacks in the face of Hamas raids. South Korea is concerned about North Korea's formidable military capabilities, particularly its advanced intercontinental missiles and nuclear weapons. South Korea's military has a total strength of about 500,000 troops, while North Korea has about 1.3 million troops, complicating the military standoff across the peninsula.
Faced with this situation, the South Korean government is considering abolishing the 919 Military Agreement between the two Koreas. The agreement, signed by the two Koreas on September 19, 2018, aims to avoid occasional military conflict on the peninsula. However, the South Korean government believes that the agreement was scrapped to better respond to the North Korean threat, especially after the successful Hamas raid on Israel, which believes that North Korea may take similar actions.
However, this idea of "preemptive strike" may be too naïve. With the strength of the South Korean army alone, it is difficult to destroy the long-range artillery of the DPRK, let alone resist the long-range strikes of the North Korean army. The South Korean government's series of actions must be based on the premise of U.S. military support. However, considering the current international situation, the United States has become more and more involved in military involvement in the world, and it is still unknown whether it can support South Korea in time.
The South Korean government should think calmly and not blindly pursue a "pre-emptive" military policy, but seek to improve relations with North Korea through diplomatic means. Learning from the military decisions of Israel and the United States is not necessarily wise, but it is more important to maintain peace and stability on the peninsula through dialogue and cooperation. At present, the situation on the Korean Peninsula is facing a serious test, and only rational responses can ensure regional security and stability.