The tension on the Korean Peninsula is the most crucial issue for the world, this is because nuclear is a threat that cannot be taken lightly, in addition to threatening world peace, nuclear can also threaten life, not only humans, but also biodiversity, even we don’t know nature can also be tense when the nuclear is detonated, because nuclear today has a wide and deadly destructive power. Tension on the Korean Peninsula cannot be separated from historical factors such as ideology, security dilemma, and mutual suspicion, military alliances and anarchic international structures, this can be understood by Indonesia, that the world is experiencing a war of nerves with modernity vehicles since the eastern and western blocs were present, so as not to reach the climax point agenda, then Indonesia will not remain silent, Indonesia must consider the fate of its citizens living on the Korean peninsula totaling 73 thousand people working there, saving all humans, biodiversity and the future of world peace, to get to that conclusion Indonesia needs universal international collaboration.
History
The tension between North and South Korea has been an ongoing issue until now. This tension is inseparable from the element of historicity. It began when the western bloc with the ideology of liberalism held by the United States and the eastern bloc controlled by the Soviet Union with communism spread influence with the aim of gaining ideological legitimacy from world countries, then with these two ideologies being the forerunner of complexity for the Korean Peninsula, South Korea adopted the ideology of the western bloc while North Korea was subjugated by the eastern bloc. So that this also triggered the Civil War or Korean War, which occurred on June 25, 1950 to July 27, 1953, this war has not yet had a peace agreement, but, ended with a truce until this moment. So it can be understood, this tension is still a derivative of the cold war or war of nerves that occurred from March 12, 1947 and ended on December 26, 1991, although the war of nerves has ended won by the ideology of liberalism, but, its legacy is still alive today.
The dynamics are so complicated that like Japan and China, the stability of the region is determined by these four countries, and supported by large countries outside the region such as the United States and Russia. The Korean Peninsula is in the international spotlight because nuclear is an existentialist threat. The existentialist threat can be seen from the nuclear arms race caused by mutual suspicion and fear, causing a security dilemma. The existence of amity and enmity. This dilemma is characterized by the existence of military alliances using a thuggish perspective and an increase in the military budgets of countries and regional anarchism, ultimately creating security complexities because sovereignty has become sacred since we recognize territorial ownership, the sacredness that has become the handle of all countries can metamorphose into a dikatator so that its sovereignty can be perpetuated, such as the case of North Korea with its ambitious nuclear program after the truce with the South Korean then cooperating with Russia and China motivated by the motivation of balancing the power of the United States as a partner of South Korea. In addition, the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) is present to offset North Korea’s missile advances, military cooperation and joint exercises between the United States and South Korea cause high tension in the Korean Delimiterization Zone and the demarcation line.
North Korea’s Ambitious Nuclear Program
North Korea’s nuclear program began in 1956 with an agreement with the Soviet Union to cooperate in the peaceful use of nuclear energy. Under this agreement, North Korea began sending scientists and technicians to the Soviet Union for training in the Moscow program, which aimed to train scientists from other communist countries.[1]
In the 21st century, North Korea already has around 50 nuclear warheads, indicating that there has been a guerrilla nuclear idea in the past, which could possibly be launched from a missile. The country has conducted six nuclear tests since 2006 and 2017.[2]
In 2021, Kim Jong-un announced several key strategic goals for North Korea’s nuclear weapons program, proposed as a five-year plan. According to Kim’s statement, these goals include: 1) producing “super-sized nuclear warheads, 2) producing smaller and lighter nuclear weapons for tactical use, 3) improving precision strike capability and range, 4) introducing “hypersonic gliding flight warheads,” 5) developing “intercontinental, underwater and land-based ballistic rockets driven by solid fuel engines,” and 6) introducing “nuclear-powered submarines and underwater launch of nuclear strategic weapons” (KCNA 2021). North Korea appears to have made significant progress on these goals, and has since introduced more demands including a dramatic increase in missile production and “advanced strategic weapon machinery” (Kim 2023).
By 2023 North Korea’s legislature makes the country’s nuclear weapons status into law (KCNA 2023) “The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (DPRK) nuclear force building policy is made a permanent basic law of the country, which no one can ignore,” Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un told a meeting of the State People’s Assembly held Tuesday and Wednesday (26-27/9/2023), quoted by the AFP news agency.[3]
Putin’s visit to Pyongyang
In 2024, we are also rumored that Putin visited Pyongyang and signed a military alliance agreement pact with Kim, as the agreement reported from Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) In case any one of the two sides is put in a state of war by an armed invasion from an individual state or several states, the other side shall provide military and other assistance with all means in its possession without delay in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter and the laws of the DPRK and the Russian Federation[4]. In the sense that if one is attacked, it is obliged to help with military assistance, after the treaty pact echoed there was a response from the international world, namely the United States, Japan and South Korea gave the following views Matthew Miller, a spokesman for the US Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the provision of Russian weapons to Pyongyang “will certainly destabilize the Korean peninsula, and potentially … depending on the type of weapons they provide … violate UN Security Council resolutions supported by Russia itself”. South Korea’s deputy foreign minister, Kim Hong-kyun, summoned Russian Ambassador Georgy Zinoviev. By condemning the agreement and asking Russia to immediately stop military cooperation with North Korea, and then Japanese cabinet secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi also opposed with the words “very worried that Russian President Putin did not rule out military technology cooperation with North Korea” taking into account “the security environment around our country and region”. this indicates that the dynamics of the world are increasingly showing its complexity in the future, because it is strengthened by Moscow’s support as an old friend and one of the countries that is almost able to match the quantity and quality of Paman Sam nuclear weapons.
Presence of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD)
Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system developed by the United States, It can also be seen as an organization in the proposed in 1987 and began operating in 2008 until today, with the idea of responding to North Korea’s ambitious programs that are getting out of control. especially in Guam and South Korea, in an effort to counter potential missile attacks from North Korea and other enemies. agendas carried out such as technological improvements, ballistic missiles, joint combat exercises. So that this can trigger tension, even the strategy of placing THAAD at a military base in the Seongju area, where the United States is the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), certainly gets a different interpretation from North Korea regarding the security of its country, this is also a logical consequence for North Korea to continue to compete to improve the quality and quantity of its missiles and nukes.
Comparison of World Nuclear Counts 2023 and 2024
| Countries | Number of nukes |
| US | 3,708 |
| Rusia | 4,489 |
| China | 410 |
| France | 290 |
| India | 164 |
| North Korea | 30 |
| UK | 225 |
| Pakistan Israel | 170 90 |
Robbi Herfandi table 1. Source: Internatinal Peace Research Institute annual report
We can see the number of nukes in 2023 as follows; United States = 3,708. Russia = 4,489. China = 410. France = 290. India = 164. North Korea = 30. UK = 225. Pakistan = 170. and Israel totaled 90.
| Countries | Number of nukes |
| US | 5,748 |
| Rusia | 5,580 |
| China | 500 |
| France | 290 |
| India | 172 |
| North Korea | 50 |
| UK | 225 |
| Pakistan Israel | 170 90 |
Robbi Herfandi table 2. Source: Arms Control Association
In 2024, the Arms Control Association released the world’s nuclear distribution has reached 12,825 nuclear warheads, almost 90% controlled by the United States and Russia, with the following details; United States = 5,748. Russia = 5,580. China = 500. France = 290. India = 172. North Korea = 50. England = 225. Pakistan = 170. and Israel remains at 90.
The data above can be understood that the increase in the number of nukes from 2023 and 2024 can be said to be fairly high, this is one of the triggers for North Korea’s ambitious nuclear program to continue to increase from 30 to 50 in 2024 and get support from Russia, because looking at other countries’ nuclear upgrade programs are also massive such as the United States from 3,708 in 2023 to 5.748 in 2024 and the country’s support for South Korea on the peninsula is also a serious concern, and the UN and other western countries have brought many sanctions such as using unilateral to pressure other countries not to do business with North Korea, and many more such as freezing assets, even though North Korea has signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) on July 12, 1985, However, in 2003 North Korea withdrew due to tensions with the United States in the region and even negotiations on denuclearization with world countries such as the United States also continued to be deadlocked, according to the author this set a precedent for North Korea and the world to continue to increase its defenses, modernize and refuse to denuclearize to this day.
So it can be understood, this tension has fulfilled the assumption that the nuclear upgrade is a form of Security Dilemma of North Korea’s national security, because it wants to perpetuate its sovereignty to remain safe, avoid threats by considering and maintaining its existence in the region and the world, selfish culture, Competitive culture has indeed been cultured in the Korean peninsula and the world because there is mutual suspicion, the existence of amity (friendship) and enmity (hostility), this happens because of insecure factors, the more insecure a country is, the more it aggressively increases its defense and nuclear budget and makes alliances. So that we become realistic and will lead to the conclusion that nuclear war can happen at any time.
Indonesia Strategy
Indonesia is known as a peace-loving country without taking sides with one of the camps, this is indicated by Indonesia’s geopolitical guerrilla in the global setting which adheres to a free and active understanding, therefore Indonesia provides solutions and antidotes. Indonesia as a non-nuclear and one of the countries that supports nuclear non-proliferation, needs to provide the following approaches: 1. Diplomacy and Dialogue in international forums such as the UN and ASEAN to encourage to be involved in efforts to support denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula and the world. As well as encouraging all countries to fully commit to the NPT agreement. 2. Support full unilateral sanctions from the UN and western countries against North Korea. 3. Inviting America and Russia and even China back to the Six-Party Talks, and 4. Preparing diplomatic steps with both sides of the conflict in order to protect Indonesian citizens and foreigners and all non-combatants and should also provide security information when conflict escalation occurs. 5. Track Two Diplomacy involves non-governmental actors and professionals, both researchers and academics.
There are many things that can be done, however, the author gives another proposal so that this collaboration becomes a universal movement, namely involving Civil Society collectively in efforts to voice denuclearization and anti-war both in visibility such as campaigns, print media publications, using hashtags such as #Denuclearization #Humanity and #Peace to highlight the Indonesian movement that Indonesia is serious about this crucial issue, so that it can encourage the spark of the spirit of collectivism of the Civil Society of other countries to make the same effort, we can take advantage of the vehicle of modernity by using social media as well as possible in the actions of struggle and support from the government, with the aim of making algorithms as tools to make a statement that Civil Society fully supports denuclearization, humanity, and peace, by massively related to nuclear which can threaten the lives of many people, besides that it can also awaken other communities from delayed awareness, that this issue is not only the responsibility of the state, regional and international institutions, but this issue is also the responsibility of Civil Society which has moved collectively from the beginning with efforts to voice a more inclusive world, Solidarity and involvement, although not yet massive, at least with the support of the state can make the movement on social media become bigger and bigger, be it local, national, regional, or global, can be contextualized with the words “Think Globally, Act Locally” because it needs involvement to create ideas of Global Governance more alive and meaningful for the love of humanity, protecting biodiversity and a peaceful world, even though this idea seems utopian, but, at least we are trying to work together, and get involved for a better world.
[1] Uk Heo dan Jung-Yeop Woo, “The North Korean Nuclear Crisis: Motives, Progress, and Prospects,” Korea Observer, Vol. 39, No.4, (The Institute of Korean Studies, winter 2008), hlm. 490.
[2] https://www.icanw.org/north_korea
[3] https://www.kompas.com/global/read/2023/09/28/093300570/korea-utara-masukkan-status-senjata-nuklir-ke-dalam-uu
[4] http://kcna.kp/en/article/q/6a4ae9a744af8ecdfa6678c5f1eda29c.kcmsf
