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Leader Kim Jong-un observes the North Korean holding amphibious exercises practicing for an attack on South Korea

The exchange of threats and invective between South and North Korea is crossing the line. A hostile coexistence reminiscent of the Cold War seems to be hardening into place. It’s a moment that calls from restraint from both sides.

The decision by North Korean state media to publish dozens of photographs on Mar. 25 showing exercises to rehearse for strikes against the Blue House and government facilities in downtown Seoul is just the latest episode. A few days before, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un personally commanded an amphibious exercise to prepare for a South Korean attack. During the past month, the North has carried out launches with a new multiple rocket launcher and short- and medium-range missiles and ratcheted up its nuclear threat. Joint South Korea-US exercises have also been more aggressive than ever, including practice for precision strikes against major North Korean facilities and an occupation of Pyongyang. From the looks of things, it wouldn’t be going too far to say both sides as having started preparing for war.

The major context for the recent mounting of tensions has to do with the North’s nuclear and missile programs and strong sanctions spearheaded by South Korea and the US. The shows of force and battle of wills have fed into each other, with each side trying to get the other capitulate. With all channels for inter-Korean dialogue severed, the only voices we hear are voices of hatred. If things keep up this way, the chance of a real clash will only grow. Before trying to find a fundamental resolution to the nuclear and missile issues, we first need to calm the tensions surrounding the peninsula.

The worrying thing here is that both Seoul and Pyongyang seem to take the stirring up of hostilities for granted and use them as a means of strengthening their own authority. The recent spate of denunciations from the North mentioning South Korean President Park Geun-hye by name is a reflection of the Kim regime’s own insecurity and fears. The talk of a “security crisis” and the possibility of “reckless provocations” by the North that we hear coming from Park and her administration is hardly appropriate either. The North Korea threat is not a means of rationalizing the administration’s policy failures or legitimizing efforts to drum up security fears. It’s also hard to shake the sense that Seoul hopes to use fears about the North to its advantage in the Apr. 13 general elections.

The situation on the Korean Peninsula right now is not normal, and both South and North share the blame. It’s time to recognize that nothing will be solved by pursuing a hostile coexistence.

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]