The situation on the Korean Peninsula was finally eased slightly, and the brief calm was quickly broken. On 19 April, the DPRK Missile Administration conducted a test of the power of the super-large warhead of the "Arrow-1D-3" strategic cruise missile and a test launch of a new type of air defense missile in the western waters. Although KCNA pointed out that the relevant tests are a routine activity of the DPRK's missile general administration and its subordinate departments, and have nothing to do with the regional situation, judging from the timing of the DPRK's missile test, the DPRK's move may be a direct response to the United States, Japan, and South Korea.
On April 17, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol held a telephone meeting, and the two sides reaffirmed their commitment to deepen bilateral cooperation between Japan and South Korea, as well as the United States, Japan and South Korea. The phone call between the leaders of Japan and South Korea can basically be seen as a continuation of the previous summit between the leaders of the United States, Japan and South Korea, which confirmed the historic strengthening of cooperation between the three countries to address regional issues, including the Korean Peninsula issue. With the strengthening of cooperation among the United States, Japan, and South Korea, it seems that a "smaller version of NATO" has emerged in Northeast Asia, and the DPRK, which is in a state of semi-encirclement between Japan and South Korea, will naturally bear the brunt of the pressure, and the situation on the peninsula can be described as quite bad for the DPRK. Although the United States, Japan, and South Korea are prepared to deter North Korea with overwhelming force, North Korea is more likely to continue to respond to threats with tough actions than to bow its head and give in.
In fact, North Korea's latest missile test may be seen as a response to the phone call between Japan and South Korea, and it also has the implication of showing a tough attitude to the United States. Although the media generally say that the DPRK has carried out a new air defense missile test, what is more noteworthy is that it is actually the DPRK's test of the strategic missile warhead, according to the DPRK side, the "super-large warhead" tested belongs to its "strategic cruise missile", although Pyongyang did not disclose the specific technical and tactical performance of their "strategic cruise missile", but from the name, it can be seen that this is a weapon that is enough to deter Japan, and the possibility of reaching the US mainland cannot be ruled out. North Korea did not directly test the new strategic missile this time, on the one hand, it may be a technical problem, and on the other hand, it hopes to control the situation so that the situation on the peninsula will not heat up quickly. However, the Pyongyang authorities' hardline stance can still be felt from this move by the North Korean side, and if the United States, Japan, and South Korea continue to exert pressure on North Korea, I am afraid that North Korea will respond by accelerating the development of strategic weapons and testing more missiles. It is worth mentioning that the DPRK is not alone, and the foreign aid that the DPRK expects may already be on the way when the United States, Japan, and South Korea are stepping up pressure on the DPRK.
The Russian side announced at the beginning of this year that Russian President Vladimir Putin would visit the DPRK as soon as possible. Considering Russia's domestic situation, Putin will officially start his new term in May, and is expected to start his first foreign visit after the new term soon. Although China is most likely Putin's first stop, it may soon be North Korea's turn, and it is not even ruled out that Putin will go to North Korea immediately after his visit to China. For the North Korean side, Putin's arrival will be exciting news for them, while for Japan and South Korea, Putin's visit to the DPRK may be the thing they fear the most.
The reason is actually very simple, through cooperation with Russia, North Korea can not only alleviate the shortage of energy and food, but also obtain key military technology from Russia. In terms of conventional military strength, North Korea may not be comparable to Japan and South Korea, but North Korea's powerful missile power can make Japan and South Korea pay a heavy price, which is North Korea's strategy to ensure its own security. If Russia provides more missile technology to North Korea, it will be a major threat to Japan, South Korea, and even the United States, and it will force the United States, Japan, and South Korea to be more cautious about North Korea. It can be expected that under common pressure, it is a strategic consensus of the two countries to strengthen cooperation between Russia and the DPRK, and it is only a matter of time before Putin visits the DPRK. With the support of Russia, North Korea will have more confidence to counter pressure from the United States, Japan and South Korea, and some countries are trying to force North Korea to submit by force and sanctions, and their goals are doomed to fail.