Jihwan Hwang, a professor at University of Seoul, believes it is premature to conclude that Kim Jong Un's increasingly hostile remarks against South Korea and Pyongyang's shift towards a more aggressive nuclear stance signify that North Korea has decided to go to war. While deterrence remains North Korea's primary goal, Hwang cautions that escalating actions during a crisis could inadvertently lead to an incident similar to the one in Sarajevo that sparked World War I. He advocates for nuanced, targeted efforts to prevent such unintentional escalations and to engage in effective diplomacy to manage North Korea’s nuclear ambitions.

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