North Korea is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and borders China and Russia to the north at the Yalu and Tumen rivers, and South Korea to the south at the Korean Demilitarized Zone. The war between North Korea and South Korea began in 1950 and both governments claimed to be the sole legitimate government of all of Korea, and neither accepted the border as permanent. East Asia includes China, Hong Kong, Japan, Macau, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan. North Korea maintains an active diplomatic presence in Southeast Asia. Pyongyang has embassies and diplomatic personnel in at least 10 countries in South and Southeast Asia: Bangladesh, Burma/Myanmar, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. This includes all ASEAN member-states except the Philippines and Brunei, and is a noticeable contrast to a number of other regions of the world, where North Korea’s embassy and diplomatic presence have been more limited.

US-North Korea Conflict

• During the Cold War era, the US extended its Nuclear Umbrella(guarantee of support during a nuclear attack) to its allies i.e. South Korea and Japan.
• North Korea withdrew from the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)in 2003 and afterwards, under present leader Kim Jong-un, it increased nuclear missile testing.
• In response to this, the US started deploying THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defence)in South Korea in March 2017.
• The territorial conflict which started between North and South Korea has transformed into a tussle between the US and North Korea.

Aggression by North Korea

• In recent yearsNorth Korea has accelerated its nuclear programme by increasing its nuclear stockpile, withdrawn from the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and has tested nuclear explosives multiple times.
• USA has deployed THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defence)in South Korea to counter increasing missile adventurism of North Korea.
• North Korea recently demolished the Inter-Korean Liaison Office in Kaesong, which wasestablished in 2018. In the absence of formal diplomatic relations, the building functioned as a de facto embassy and provided a direct communication channel for the two nations.
• Most recently in 2022, North Korea conducted a record number of missile tests.
  • It may further raise tensions by testing an intercontinental ballistic missileor conducting its first nuclear test explosion since 2017, following an old pattern of heightening tensions.

India''s Position in Korean Conflict

• Indian’s Stand:
  • India has consistently voiced its opposition to North Korean nuclear and missile tests.However, it has maintained a neutral stance regarding sanctions.
  • Earlier, during the Korean War (1950- 53), India playeda major role in a cease-fire agreement signed between both the warring sides.
• India''s Relations with North and South Korea:
  • In May 2015, the bilateral relationship with South Korea was upgraded to‘special strategic partnership’.
    • India has a major role to play in South Korea’s Southern Policyunder which the latter is looking at expanding relations beyond its immediate region.
    • Similarly, South Korea is a major player in India’s Act East Policyunder which India aims to promote economic cooperation, cultural ties and develop strategic relationships with countries in the Asia-Pacific.
  • India has diplomatic relations with North Koreafor over 47 years, which reflects the legacy of India’s commitment to the Non-Alignment Movement.

China Factor

China is in a tricky position as it seeks to maintain North Korea as a buffer state to counter the United States while also wanting to maintain stability on the Korean peninsula and prevent the escalation of tensions. To this end, North Korea’s denuclearisation is also in Beijing’s interests as this would arguably call into question the need for US troops to remain in South Korea. Both North Korea and Russia will likely maintain close communication with China over the course of their deepening bilateral ties.