What is happening in the Korean Peninsula? What is the background?

Lately, North Korea has been testing its missiles. Now, the perception of North Korea towards South Korea has changed. Where earlier North Korea was aiming hard to reunify with South Korea, today it sees the latter as its enemy. On the other side of the situation, South Korea has also responded through multiple joint military tests. The situation therefore makes the world tense.

The background of the situation

By the end of the Second World War, the Korean peninsula had two divisions. The result of the situation was that the northern part fell under the Soviet Union's ambit and the remaining southern part under the United States. This led to the creation of two ideologically different regimes. The North tried to take over the South, leading to the Korean War. This proved to be the very first hot war of the Cold War. The Cold War ended, but even after so many decades of its end, the two nations are divided in their ideology. Eventually, North Korea became an ally of Russia and China and South Korea became an ally of the United States.

However, at present, what comes as a huge matter of concern in the present-day Korean peninsula geopolitics is the denuclearization of North Korea. The international community has been trying hard to cease the nuclear weapons program of North Korea.

From 1994 to 2002, the nuclear ambitions of North Korea were halted because of the "Agreed Framework" signed by the United States with North Korea to stop its nuclear program in exchange for nuclear energy. However, in the year 2006, North Korea began its nuclear tests yet again as it exited in 2003 from the nuclear non-proliferation agreement.

However, there were some more initiatives too that began in the year 2003 for de-nuclearizing the Korean peninsula. These were known as the six-party talks. The talks were held between Russia, China, Japan, South Korea, North Korea, and the United States. As a result of the talks, North Korea pledged to forego its nuclear ambitions. However, in the very next year of the talks, North Korea conducted its nuclear tests again.

The talks collapsed by the year 2009, and North Korea decided to never return. Additionally, since Kim Jong Un took command, there has been an increase in missile tests.

From the year 2018 and 2019, the Trump administration tried hard to negotiate denuclearization and peace with North Korea by means of meetings held thrice. The result? The talks failed and North Korea, under the leadership of Kim, started its missile testing yet again.

Over the past decades, a total of six nuclear weapons tests have been held by North Korea along with the development of multiple delivery systems. Additionally, North Korea also engaged in provocative actions. One of the major concerns that is lingering is the assumption that North Korea can target the United States. On the other hand, South Korea has made its military alliance stronger with the United States. It has advanced its military defense systems.