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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un sits next to nuclear torpedoes with what appear to be diagrams of the torpedoes in the background, in this photo released by North Korean state media on March 24. (KCNA/Yonhap)

The joint exercises by the South Korean and US militaries, which wrapped up on Thursday, was met by North Korea with various demonstrations of its nuclear capabilities. North Korea unveiled a series of new nuclear-capable weapons, from submarine-launched cruise missiles (SLCM) to nuclear torpedoes.

As North Korea ratchets up its nuclear threat by developing a variety of launch vehicles to neutralize South Korea and the US’ extended deterrence, tensions on the Korean Peninsula and the arms race are growing exceedingly precarious.

In response to the Freedom Shield drill held from March 13 to March 23, North Korea unveiled several new strategic weapons. Starting with an SLCM on March 12, it claimed to have launched and detonated a short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) and a cruise missile in the air, 600-800 meters above its target, on March 19 and March 22.

The aerial detonation of nuclear warheads is intended to maximize the kill radius; the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima during World War II had a blast altitude of 570 meters.

On March 21-23, North Korea claimed that it conducted underwater explosion tests on an “unmanned underwater nuclear attack craft,” which appears to be an underwater drone-type nuclear torpedo.

While South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense believes that North Korea has not yet deployed missiles tipped with miniaturized nuclear warheads, there is concern that the North is rapidly developing the capability to launch nuclear weapons in various ways that could allow it to avoid detection, strike, and interception by South Korea and the US.

In the past, North Korea has avoided direct military action during joint South Korea-US military drills, but since adopting its nuclear use doctrine in September 2022, it has become emboldened in its responses. South Korea, the United States, and Japan have, in turn, escalated their military responses, creating a vicious cycle.

While the Freedom Shield joint drills have ended for now, the South Korea-US navies and marine corps will continue their biennial combined “Ssangyong” (“double dragon”) amphibious exercise through April 3. South Korea and the US are also scheduled to hold a “joint firepower annihilation drill” in June, which will feature a swath of advanced military forces, to mark the 70th anniversary of the South Korea-US alliance and the Korean Armistice Agreement. North Korea will respond by further escalating its nuclear threats.

The situation on the Korean Peninsula is intertwined with the arms race in East Asia as a whole. The New York Times published an analysis on Saturday illustrating that the intensifying strategic rivalry between the US and China is making Asian countries worried, which is making them rush to build up their military capabilities. As such, the most significant arms race in Asia since World War II has commenced, which is fueling instability in the region.

In 2000, countries in the Asia Pacific accounted for just 17.5% of global defense spending, but by 2021, that figure had soared to 27.7%, excluding North Korea. Failure to break the cycle of fear will leave all parties to face dire consequences.

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