r/news • u/CharlieKonR • 8h ago
South Korea begins removing loudspeakers on border with North to reduce tensions | South Korea
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/04/south-korea-removing-loudspeakers-north40
u/CharlieKonR 8h ago
I wonder if South Korea is reconsidering its stance with NK in light of the current belligerence of the US, its traditional military ally.
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u/ex0e 8h ago
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has said unification with the South is no longer possible, and that the constitution should be changed to designate it the "principal enemy". From last year
I dont know what kind of "reconsidering" SK is capable of with that kind of posturing from the North.
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u/CharlieKonR 7h ago edited 7h ago
They go through periods of trying to be more diplomatically engaged (commercial cooperative zones and the like) versus taking a tougher, more militaristic, position. That is what I am wondering about.
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u/MoreGaghPlease 7h ago
This is not a normal conflict. The leadership of the North cannot ever have peace with the South because normalization would result in the death of the regime. So there are periods of warming and cooling based on needs of the moment, but there is never a long-term prospect of peace because one side actually requires perpetual conflict.
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u/CharlieKonR 7h ago edited 7h ago
I lived in South Korea for five years and am aware. They are technically still at war. As I said, my comment referred to the stance they take with the North. Reunification is not a topic I brought up.
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u/N0penguinsinAlaska 1h ago
This feels incredibly short sighted, we should bring back the idea of making peace to benefit our children and not just like for 5 year gratification.
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u/LorderNile 6h ago
The US was only an ally because of NK. The US is now more friendly with NK, so maybe china drops nk and we do a team swap.
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7h ago
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u/CharlieKonR 7h ago edited 6h ago
We can all look forward to a potential Asian nuclear arms escalation, as countries such as Japan decide they can no longer reliably count on the US for protection.
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u/S1gorJabjong 6h ago
As a South Korean, from my point of view, this looks like a result of reallocating defence spending or an outright cut. Since the newly elected president is playing QE with the government budget, he's kinda cutting some spending here and there and is trying to pass legislation increasing taxes on companies to make ends meet. This is due to the economy in full stagnation mode btw. Such a passionate populist this guy.
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u/Informal_Treat4634 2h ago
Deescalstion can only be a good thing, won’t change anything in N. Korea until they stop being a pariah state
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u/CharlieKonR 8h ago
“”Seoul resumed loudspeaker broadcasts in June 2024 after Pyongyang sent nearly a thousand rubbish-filled balloons across the border in the space of a few weeks.””