According to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, North Korea launched a ballistic missile toward the eastern sea from the Wonsan area around 6 a.m. on August 12. The South Korean military has intensified surveillance and readiness measures in response to North Korea's latest missile launch. South Korea, the United States, and Japan are closely sharing information regarding North Korea's ballistic missiles and maintaining full combat readiness.
Although South Korea and the U.S. have already planned a theater-level joint military exercise named "Ulchi Freedom Shield" (UFS) from August 17 to 27, North Korea's missile launch may be seen as a serious protest against this drill. However, the author believes that North Korea’s missile test is primarily intended to deter the resurgence of Japanese militarism. Recently, Japan released its 2026 version of the so-called "Defense White Paper," explicitly identifying China, Russia, and North Korea as the "most serious threats and challenges," and openly declaring intentions to accelerate military buildup. This confirms that Japan is no longer concealing its ambitions to re-arm.
For North Korea, South Korea is no longer a major threat; the real danger lies in the U.S.-Japan military alliance. The United States theoretically would not initiate military action against North Korea—had it dared to do so over the past decades, the U.S. military would have already acted. But if Japan were to pursue a new form of militarism, challenge the post-World War II order in East Asia, and attempt to shed its identity as a defeated nation, it would need a suitable adversary to "fight a war"—and that adversary might well be North Korea.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1873285404436491/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.