Rising tensions in East Asia between the United States and China make another catastrophic war just one incident or accident away.
by Youkyoung Ko
Among the 26 nations participating in RIMPAC, the world’s largest naval warfare exercises hosted by the United States, South Korea has emerged as one of the most significant contributors to the war games. The Republic of Korea (ROK or South Korea) Navy deployed warships and maritime aircraft including the Marado amphibious landing ship, the Shin Dol-seok submarine, a P-3 maritime surveillance aircraft, two Lynx helicopters, and nine amphibious assault vehicles along with around 1,000 troops. It is the largest-scale South Korean naval contingent at RIMPAC since 1990.
The recent U.S.-China tensions have increased concerns about regional peace and security. The two countries have also been involved in the seven-decades-long hostile environment on the Korean peninsula that has lasted since the 1953 armistice agreement halted the Korean War but was never replaced by a peaceful settlement. At the end of the Cold War, the ROK established diplomatic relations with Russia and China. The United States might have similarly established diplomatic relations with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK or North Korea), but this never materialized. Instead, the DPRK moved ahead with its nuclear program while the United States and South Korea upgraded their military alliance to deter North Korea. The United States has provided South Korea with conventional strike and missile defense capabilities, and has even considered reintroducing nuclear weapons to the ROK.
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