Recently, the Department of Defense of Australia announced that it deploys a warship to the waters near the Korean peninsula as part of Operation Argos on the pretext of enforcing United Nations Security Council “resolution” on the DPRK.

It is not the first time that Australia has been enforcing its hostile act against the DPRK.

What cannot be overlooked is the fact that a high-ranking officer of the Australian Department of Defense said that the deployment of the warship will add weight to Australia’s economic and diplomatic pressure on the DPRK and that “Australia will continue to enforce sanctions until North Korea takes concrete steps toward denuclearization.”

Australia is taking the lead in enforcing the UNSC “sanctions resolutions” which were rejected by the DPRK as they do not deserve even the slightest notice. It is deploying the war equipment including maritime patrol aircraft and warships around the Korean peninsula every year. This is a clear revelation of its inveterate policy of toeing the US line.

22 years ago, John Howard, the then Prime Minister of Australia became an object of ridicule both at home and abroad for his remark that Australia had been so-called “acting sheriff” of the U.S. when he referred to its role of maintaining peace in the region.

Australia tries to possess a nuclear-powered submarine with the assistance of the U.S. and the UK. Because of this, there is a growing voice of criticism against Australia calling it as one of the U.S. minions and its regional “police” in the region of Southeast Asia. The experts on the international affairs are warning that “AUKUS” has a latent possibility of violating some of the ASEAN’s core principles because the nuclear-powered submarine uses highly enriched uranium which is also used in the production of nuclear weapons.

The reality shows that Australia would gain nothing except for condemnation and isolation if it turns a deaf ear to the voices of the world advocating for progress and justice and continues to stick to its policy of toeing the US line without its own view and principle.

Australia’s act of dispatching a warship to the delicate region of the Korean peninsula under the thumb of the U.S. will bring greater danger to the military and political environment around the Korean peninsula. There is no doubt that Australia will also be faced with a crisis in its own security.

Australia would be well-advised to take into full account the consequences of its acts and refrain itself from rash acts.

Repentance comes too late.

Korea-Asia Association