Nuclear weapons law and Korean's conundrum

Ultimately, war is a political tool employed through alternative means, and international law serves as a framework outlining the practices and legal principles established by major powers to regulate the use of force by states in their pursuit of political objectives in their constant, ruthless competition. A prime example of this can be observed on the Korean Peninsula, where a conflict temporarily halted by the 1953 Korean Armistice Agreement has never been officially concluded, and where the military forces and treaty obligations of four nuclear-armed nations - the United States, China, Russia, and North Korea - intersect.

The term "other means" in the contemporary world primarily pertains to nuclear weapons, which are the most potent form of coercive force due to their absolute, devastating capability to project a catastrophic threat against a rival. In the context of Korea, the adversaries now articulate their deterrence in these exact terms. North Korea's 2022 nuclear forces policy law states that the purpose of their nuclear arsenal is to make any hostile force comprehend that military confrontation with the North "results in destruction." The United States' 2022 Nuclear Posture Review further elaborates on its strategy in this regard.