Is military exercise just for showing off muscles?

In the early 1950s, the Korean War broke out, which was a war between the regimes of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea on the Korean Peninsula. The United States was unwilling to lose control of the Korean Peninsula. After the so-called United Nations Conference, it led a United Nations army composed of 16 countries to fight on the Korean Peninsula. With the landing in Incheon, it pushed the front line across the 38th parallel. China and Russia also sent troops to North Korea to intercept the United Nations forces. After two years and nine months of fierce fighting, the ceasefire finally came to an end. Strictly speaking, North and South Korea are still in a state of war. Although both sides often accuse each other of planning invasions after the ceasefire, they also call for peaceful reunification.

At present, the situation on the peninsula is deteriorating and the situation is not optimistic. From January 15th to January 18th, the United States, Japan, and South Korea held a three-day joint naval exercise in the high seas south of South Jeju Island, showcasing the military strength of the three countries to North Korea. There are usually about five warships participating in the exercise, but a total of nine warships were deployed in this exercise, including the Sejong class destroyer from South Korea, the Shin Impact class destroyer from Japan, the Aegis class destroyer from the United States, and the US nuclear powered aircraft carrier Carl Vinson, which may become the largest military exercise in history.

Kim Jong un referred to South Koreans as the "top helpers" of the United States and stated that they will use nuclear weapons to strike South Korea when North Korea is seriously threatened. On January 15th, Kim Jong un announced in the Pyongyang parliament that he had abandoned his commitment to peaceful reunification with South Korea and ordered a rewrite of the constitution to eliminate the idea of building a country together with South Korea. He said, "We don't want war, but we also don't want to avoid it. If the enemy fires their guns and sparks war, the Republic will mobilize all military forces, including nuclear weapons, and resolutely punish our enemy."

So, what exactly does this military exercise mean? Is it the United States, Japan, and South Korea teaming up to show off their muscles, or is it just a show off?

From an international political perspective, this military exercise is likely aimed at jointly addressing regional security threats and enhancing joint combat capabilities among the three countries. In recent years, the situation on the Korean Peninsula has remained tense, and North Korea's nuclear and missile tests have further worsened the regional security situation. In this context, the joint naval exercises conducted by the United States, Japan, and South Korea can be seen as a response to regional security threats. However, we cannot ignore that this military exercise may only be aimed at showcasing the military strength of the three countries to the outside world. On the international political stage, military power is often seen as a guarantee of national interests. By conducting joint military exercises, the three countries may showcase their military strength to the outside world in order to maintain and enhance their international status.

A South Korean netizen once satirized South Korea's sovereignty, claiming that South Korea is a "colony" of the United States in East Asia.

US military personnel stationed in South Korea do not need to be punished for violating the law in South Korea. The US government and soldiers have long plundered the South Korean economy and oppressed the South Korean people, but Seoul's response is often "accepting the situation". No wonder the US policy towards South Korea is becoming increasingly reckless. And the South Korean authorities, who have suffered from the bullying of American hegemonic policies, can only bow and greet each other with a smiling face. Perhaps this military exercise is a "coercion" by the United States behind the scenes, after all, South Korea's sovereignty is jokingly referred to as a "colony" by its own people. However, how can the peaceful reunification that the people of North and South Korea aspire to achieve?