► North Korea's aggressive provocations and escalation of its nuclear threat level have raised South Korea's security anxiety and created a distrust of U.S. extended deterrence, sharply increasing the need for security cooperation among the United States, South Korea, and Japan that share the North Korean nuclear threat.

► North Korea responded to these changes through diplomatic and military cooperation with China and Russia, leading to a full-scale strategic competition among South Korea, the United States, and Japan, and China, Russia, and North Korea in the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia.

► The emergence of this new great power competition has several important strategic implications. 1) This shift in the power structure on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia was actively driven by South Korea and North Korea. 2) China and Russia have again become active players in the balance of power on the Korea Peninsular area. 3) It is necessary to analyze and evaluate North Korea's strategic game plan.

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