Why Korea's “Nuclear Missile Drill” Isn't Aimed at North Korea

Why Korea's “Nuclear Missile Drill” Isn't Aimed at North Korea

Freedom Edge 26’s nuclear-capable bomber component, paired with unusually explicit official language about North Korea’s “nuclear and missile threats,” is not deterrence signaling aimed at Pyongyang — it is compensatory reassurance aimed at Seoul and Tokyo, timed to offset the credibility Washington just spent by unilaterally gutting Ulchi Freedom Shield for Kim Jong Un’s benefit. […]