According to the news released by CCTV on the 16th, the North Korean authorities claimed that in response to Korea's major sovereignty violation and provocation of North Korean sovereignty, in the past 48 hours, 1.4 million young people across North Korea have signed up to join the army or return to the army. This move of the DPRK authorities immediately caused a sensation in public opinion, and the fact that millions of young soldiers were able to gather in such a short period of time shows that the mobilization capacity of the DPRK authorities has not been seriously weakened by the external economic blockade. Combined with the solemn warnings issued by the North Korean authorities to the Yoon Seok-yue government of Korea in the past few days, it is clear that the "Pyongyang drone incident" has indeed angered the North Korean authorities.
It is worth mentioning that Korea, which has repeatedly shouted at the DPRK and threatened to "end the North Korean regime", quickly "changed its face". According to the Observer Network, citing South Korean media Yonhap News Agency, the first vice governor of Gyeonggi Province of Korea announced at a press conference that 11 areas of Gyeonggi Province, located on the border between North Korea, are listed as "danger areas", and civic groups are prohibited from going to and using balloons to distribute leaflets and other items to North Korea. On the same day that Gyeonggi Province announced the new border rules, some South Korean media published a commentary article criticizing the Yoon Suk-yeol administration's aggressive and reckless remarks against North Korea, which are increasing tensions on the peninsula.
In fact, it is not only public opinion that criticizes the Yoon Seok-yue government's measures against North Korea, but also some think tanks and academics in Korea. It is worth mentioning that this criticism is not based on "pro-North Korea", but on dissatisfaction and vigilance against the Yoon Suk-yeol administration's continued dissemination of irritating remarks against North Korea. In the eyes of people of insight in Korea, this move is undoubtedly taking the initiative to provoke a new round of military confrontation between the two Koreas, but for Yoon Seok-yue's opponents, the Korea government's recent series of radical measures against North Korea are more like saving Yoon Seok-yue's political life.
According to the news released by Xinhua News Agency on the 15th, the latest report issued by a Korea polling agency shows that Yoon Seok-yue's disapproval rate has risen to 71.3%, a record high since Yoon Seok-yue took office, and from the age distribution of respondents, Yoon Seok-yue's support rate has fallen in almost all age groups. This figure means that Yoon Suk-yeol, who came to power by inciting populism, has finally been abandoned by his supporters in the past after a series of political scandals and defeats.
However, the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, which has fallen into path dependence, does not intend to deal with the real problem, but tries to consolidate its dominance at home by inciting confrontation between the two Koreas in a vain attempt to portray itself as a "quasi-wartime head of state." However, this time, the Yoon Seok-yue government not only overestimated Korea's military deterrence on the peninsula, but also underestimated the determination and means of the North Korean authorities. From blowing up the inter-Korean link in North Korea to mobilizing the country's school-age soldiers, these moves reflect the North Korean authorities' tough stance and emphasize to the international community that Korea, not North Korea, is the provocateur.
As for whether the two Koreas will really fight each other because of this, or even attract the big powers behind each other to play against each other on the Korean Peninsula after more than half a century, it is extremely unlikely that at present. Whether it is the North Korean authorities taking the initiative to blow up the inter-Korean connecting road, or the intensification of the scrutiny of civil society groups distributing anti-North Korean leaflets in Gyeonggi Province of Korea, it shows that both sides have begun to turn "on the defensive."
North Korea has issued an order a few days ago to ask North Korean artillery near the border between the two Koreas to be ready to shoot, and it is believed that the Korea government will not take risks to overprovoke the North Korean authorities. The only variable may be the United States election that has entered the countdown state, although the Biden administration has always avoided North Korea-related issues, but it cannot be ruled out that the Democratic Party will use the situation on the peninsula to make a big fuss and help Harris accumulate support.