geoff: Tensions on the Korean
peninsula are running high.
This month, the U.S. And south
Korea launched their largest
military exercises in nearly six
years.
And in response, North Korea
tested five missiles, part of a
record number of tests over the
last 15 months.
Nick schifrin looks at the
debate over U.S. Policy in the
region, as the exercises and
tests continue.
Nick: Above the Korean
peninsula, a show of force.
U.S. Bombers fly alongside south
Korean jets to increase what the
U.S. Military called wartime
strategic strike capabilities.
And near the north Korean
border, American and south
Korean troops fire together as
part 11-day-long exercises they
call freedom shield and warrior
shield.
>> A majority of the training
that we've conducted today is
always to ensure that we're
ready to fight tonight.
Nick: But, North Korea also
tried to show it's ready to
fight.
Last week on state TV, it tested
an intercontinental ballistic
missile it says can reach the
entire continental U.S.
It was a family affair.
That's north Korean leader Kim
Jong-un with his daughter, and
with his sister, on the right,
alongside senior officials.
In the last week, North Korea
also launched what it called a
simulation of a nuclear attack
on South Korea after Kim reduced
the threshold for preemptive
strikes.
And it launched a missile from a
submarine, just one of more than
115 tests in the last year, the
most in north Korean history.
>> They have a mission to
qualitatively and quantitatively
advance their nuclear missile
program.
They are using military
exercises as a pretext, as an
excuse.
When you look at the past
history, they have only they've
always conducted these kind of
missile tests during the during
the exercises.
Nick: Sue MI Terry is the
director of the Asia program at
the Wilson center in Washington.
She says Kim Jong-un has no
interest in diplomacy until the
U.S. Accepts North Korea as a
nuclear weapons power.
>> They themselves said so last
fall when they said, we're not
coming back to talks if we are
talking about denuclearization.
We'll come back to the talks
potentially to talk about arms
control or something else.
But it's not going to be about
denuclearization.
Nick: But other North Korea
experts believe Kim is willing
to adjust his swagger if the
U.S. Were willing to adjust
exercises and sanctions.
>> They're unhappy with our
military exercises and they may,
in fact, be unhappy with the
failure of the United States to
meet the kinds of expectations
they have about starting
diplomatic activity.
Nick: Ambassador Robert galucci
is a Georgetown professor and
former diplomat.
In the 1990's, he was chief U.S.
Negotiator of an agreement in
which North Korea promised to
shut down its nuclear weapons
complex, in exchange for energy
facilities and improved
relations.
That eventually failed, as did
diplomatic efforts under
president Obama, and president
trump's direct talks with Kim
Jong-un.
Now, the Biden administration
has increased military exercises
and regional cooperation, but
also offered North Korea to meet
anywhere with no preconditions.
Does that strategy make sense,
do you think?
>> Well, it would make sense if
it was working, and it doesn't
make sense, since it's not.
It's better than having
preconditions, but it's not as
good as saying, look, we've
thought about this and we're
prepared to make some moves and
we are going to begin with the
fact that we have sanctions
which we can manipulate.
We have military exercises which
we can manipulate, and we're
prepared to send you a nice
positive signal here that we're
prepared to make some serious
changes.
Nick: Should the U.S. Be willing
to adjust its exercises and its
sanctions in order to get north
Korea to the diplomatic table?
>> I don't think so.
North Koreans are not interested
in returning to the talks right
now.
Kim Jong-un has made up his mind
to get his technical capability
to a next level before they
return to talks.
Nick: North Korea's nuclear
advances have increased anxiety
across the border in South Korea
where president Yoon suk yeol
and other senior officials have
discussed Seoul building its own
nuclear arsenal.
Oh se-hoon is an influential
member of president Yoon's
party, and a likely presidential
candidate in 2027.
>> We've come to a point where
it is difficult to convince
people of the rationale that we
should refrain from developing
nuclear weapons and stick to the
cause of denuclearization.
>> I think south Koreans are
scared.
They can trust the Biden
administration.
But to be honest, in the future,
they are concerned about what's
going to happen to the united
States.
Will we have another
isolationist president who might
talk about pulling troops out of
South Korea?
Nick: But right now, the
alliance is becoming more
unified.
For years, South Korea and Japan
had difficult relations, but
last week, their leaders resumed
ties to help create a free and
open indo pacific.
>> We have agreed that under the
current strategic environment,
strengthening the japan-south
Korea relationship is an urgent
task.
>> South Korea and Japan share
the universal values of freedom,
human rights, and law, and we
are the closest neighbors and
partners that must cooperate on
security, economic issues, and
global agendas.
An agenda that publicly includes
countering North Korea's growing
missile threat.
>> North Koreans are making all
kinds of threats about
preemptive use of nuclear
weapons, but if they know that
United States and South Korea
and Japan are closely aligned,
and you cannot separate these
countries, I think you would
have some sort of impact.
Nick: North Korea continues to
pose one of the u.s.'s most
difficult challenges.
And right now, the Biden
administration is not signaling
any policy change, as the tests
and exercises are expected to
continue.
For the pbs "Newshour," I'm Nick
schifrin.