North Korea’s Military Posturing Threatens Regional Stability Amid US-South Korea Defense Exercises

As the United States and South Korea launch their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield military exercises aimed at deterring North Korean aggression, Pyongyang responds with escalating threats and provocative moves that jeopardize peace on the Korean Peninsula and challenge America’s commitment to regional stability. Why Does Pyongyang View Defensive Drills as a Casus Belli? Kim Jong Un’s condemnation of the joint military drills reveals a familiar pattern: weaponizing routine alliance training to justify amplifying his nuclear arsenal. While Washington and Seoul conduct these exercises strictly to defend against the growing missile threats from the North, Kim frames them as rehearsals for...