An opinion piece in the Global Times lays the blame on the U.S. for the recent rise in tensions on the Korean peninsula:
Since the US declared its return to Asia, the frequency of clashes in Korea Peninsula has accelerated. Instead of reflecting upon this, South Korea became more obsessed with its military alliance with the US, which has proven faulty at best. Seoul and Washington are seeking to pull Beijing to their side. They think once China gets tough, North Korea will behave – but such logic is quite ludicrous among Chinese.
People from the South and the North are one people. South Koreans clearly know about the Korean temperament of sticking to independent choices and being reluctant to succumb to external dissuasion.
Isn’t Pyongyang’s decisiveness in front of orders by external powers also part of South Koreans’ national character? Does South Korea really think the North would submit to pressure?
The illusion of forcing North Korea to yield has plagued Northeast Asia for years. It stops the region from taking advantage of moments of opportunity to solve the Korean deadlock.
