Archive News & Announcements - 2024

  By Kenji Yoshida This article was first published in The Diplomat on 4 March 2024. As the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East grind on, another conflict brews miles away in East Asia.  Wrapping up 2023, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered his military to “thoroughly annihilate” South Korea and the United States if provoked. The saber-rattling continued as Pyongyang fired some 350 artillery shells into a disputed sea in January, followed by a barrage of missile tests in recent weeks.  So far, South Korea’s response has been fighting fire with fire. President Yoon Suk-yeol has vowed that its retaliation will be “multiple times stronger” should the North take belligerent actions. Seoul’s deepening military pact with Washington and Tokyo since the Camp David Summit last August has amplified the Yoon administration’s resolve. Rising tension in the Korean Peninsula has caused many experts to speculate on what lies ahead. Two leading experts in the United States argued that the Kim regime has made a “strategic decision” to wage war, whereas an ex-U.S. diplomat warned of a possible nuclear crisis in the region.  Amid the many uncertainties, The Diplomat spoke to Moon Chung-in, former special adviser for diplomacy and national security to President Moon Jae-in (no relation). Moon, now the James Laney Distinguished Professor at Yonsei University and vice chair of the Asia-Pacific Leadership Network for Nuclear Nonproliferation and Disarmament, shared his views on the recent developments with The Diplomat. Bracing for War?  Kim Jong Un’s warmongering is worsening by the day. This year alone, the regime has launched multiple cruise and ballistic missiles from its western coast, one of which is said to have been topped with a hypersonic glide vehicle.  In the backdrop is Pyongyang’s attempt to sway South Korea’s legislative elections in April and the U.S. presidential election in November by showcasing its advanced military capabilities.  The Diplomat asked Moon if Kim’s military pursuits were merely an attention-seeking maneuver or a forecast of a serious collision course with the South.  “Verbal cues by both Kim Jong Un and Yoon Suk-yeol indicate that planned, large-scale armed conflict between the two Koreas is unlikely,” Moon said.   “Take, for instance, Kim’s speech from the December 2023 plenary meeting or one from early January. While his language is bellicose in nature, everything is conditional. In other words, Pyongyang’s actions are contingent upon the actions of Seoul and vice versa.”  Moon, however, cautioned that an “accidental clash and escalation” is plausible given the fraying inter-Korean safety net and the strained dialogue between the two nations. “Under Yoon’s presidency, the 9.19 Comprehensive Military Agreement between the two Koreas was terminated, a buffer zone in the West Sea was nullified, critical communications lines have been suspended, while rearmament in the demilitarized zone has restarted,” Moon pointed out, giving examples of how major cords of the safety net have snapped.  “With vital guardrails and infrastructures torn down and shrinking confidence-building measures, unplanned clash and escalation cannot be ruled out,” Moon added.  Continue reading in The Diplomat   Image: Goga Shutter/shutterstock.com

  Recent news stories from Tuvalu indicate the new government's priorities regarding climate change and the Falepili Union with Australia. Tuvalu's new government to seek revisions to Falepili Union Tuvalu's new government has signalled it will seek revisions to a landmark treaty signed with the Australian Government, the Falepili Union. Read more from ABC's Pacific Beat  Climate change, Falepili treaty, Taiwan on new Tuvalu governments to-do list Climate change and the impacts of sea level rise, the Tuvalu-Australia Falepili Union, and strengthening relationship with Taiwan are among the list of priorities for Tuvalu's new government. Read more from RNZ International Pacific News. Image: Tatohra/shutterstock.com

    Image: IKT collections/shutterstock.com A small team from the University of Waikato is leading a two-year project about how climate change affects people departing their homelands in Tonga and Samoa. A survey with 600 respondees revealed there's particular interest from Tongan women to leave the Kingdom, a gender difference not reflected in the Samoan respondents. Read more from Radio New Zealand International

  A new funding arrangement to strengthen climate change resilience in the Pacific has been announced during a recent New Pacific Mission delegation visit to Cook Islands, Tonga and Samoa. The New Zealand government has confirmed additional support of NZ$15.2 million over three years to help SPREP strengthen the crucial role it plays in providing advice and support in the Pacific. Read more from Radio New Zealand International