Description: Following the trilateral diplomatic meeting between the US, Japan and South Korea in Munich on 15 Feb, the North Korean government has vowed to invest even more in future nuclear armament endeavors. The trilateral meeting was marked by statements from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio who pledged that the US would remain committed towards the denuclearization of North Korea. The latest information saw North Korean diplomats departing for Russia, as both North Korea and Russia aimed to further strengthen ties in light of recent developments on the global geopolitical stage. Further diplomatic pressure from the US over the North Korean denuclearization could also see the latter rapidly closing the distance in their bilateral relations with China.
Impact: Continued diplomatic pressure from the western allies could only push North Korea into reshaping their relations with China and additionally strengthening the ties with Russia. This discourse of multilateral relations could lead to severe nuclear development which could initially inflate regional tensions on the Korean peninsula. Close relations with China and Russia could see North Korea playing a key role in the Indo – Pacific theater where US allies such as the Philippines, Japan and South Korea could be severely endangered. Russian and Chinese support for Norh Korea could embolden the country into developing advanced missile technologies which could pose a significant global security risk.