North Korea Nuclear Threat Briefing - Essay Example

North Korea Nuclear Threat Briefing In the northern part of the Korean peninsula of East Asia is North Korea. It is a country that is among the most militarized in the world and has an active space program. In the recent past, North Korea has drawn criticism from all around the world due to its active involvement in nuclear weapons. Nuclear weapons came into existence as early as around the 1940s and they are the most feared weapons of mass destruction. The concerns raised by the international community only solidify the fears that most people have in nuclear weapons if they are put into active use. Bomb experts say that nuclear explosives have the ability to cause devastating effects to the human body. These nuclear explosives also have adverse effects on the environment. Many might wonder why North Korea is involved in the nuclear programs. Well, the answer is straightforward. North Korea is rich in uranium. Reports analysis show that North Korea maintains up to four million tons of exploitable uranium ore of exceptionally high quality. This availability of the uranium ore in plenty gives North Korea the witch hand to make nuclear explosives. This can be argued to be a natural urge. It is hard to deny that if any other country were sitting where North Korea is, it would not be involves in nuclear power in one way or another. In around the 1960s, North Korea is reported to have established a large-scale atomic energy research complex. This research complex was located in Yongbyon and its main function was to train nuclear specialists from the students who had taken their studies from the Soviet Union. In October 2006, North Korea conducted an underground nuclear explosive test that is estimated to have yielded less than a kiloton. This is despite the fact that North Korea had signed an agreement with the United States of America in October 1994 that they would freeze all its existing nuclear programs. In the agreement, North Korea also agreed to adhere to the enhanced International Atomic energy Agency (IAEFA) safeguards. Other details that were agreed on by both countries were; both countries would work to move towards the total normalization of economic and political relations, both North Korea and U.S.A would work  together to promote peace and security towards a nuclear-free Korean peninsula among other agreements. (Von Hippel 126). The political class in North Korea too has been a significant influence in the country’s motivation towards making nuclear explosives. It is reported that Pyongyang faces and confronts quite a number of both internal and external security problems. This perceived threats push the urge for North Korea to seek its own reliable measures of defense. It is understandable that it resorts to nuclear power, and with readily available uranium, as a proactive measure to counter this security threats. The fact that North Korea is surrounded by weighty superpowers does not make the situation any better. The Korean peninsula has also been subject of numerous invasions over the past years. These experiences profoundly influence the perception of the political and ruling elite to develop advanced and quite dependable weaponry systems, and nuclear explosives for this matter. By doing this, North Korea is not only sure of its own internal security, but also capable of countering any external attack it may face (Bermudez 75). The political history between North Korea and the United States of America is another factor that motivates North Korea to resort to nuclear explosives. The American military forces  have been stationed in South Korea since the 1950s,  to eliminate chances of a North Korean invasion across the 38th parallel. All the North Koreans have been drilled that the Americans invaded their country on that date. The political leader of North Korea then, Marshall Kim II, repulsed the invasion during the victorious Fatherland Liberation War’. Ever since then, the North Korean media has persistently provided extensive reports of the U.S military invasion and the dire need to observe vigilance for an ‘imminent American attack’. This perception and drive from the media builds further tension within North Korea and its supporters thus resorting to nuclear explosives as a defense system (Benett 16). Some analysts argue that the Bush administration in the United States could have fuelled the desire of North Korea to produce nuclear weapons. This is despite the fact that the same Bush administration pressured North Korea‘s nuclear weapons program, including the highly enriched uranium program, to sign an agreement with the United States in order to meet its own nuclear program. From this point, it can be argued that the Bush administration works in itself self-interest. It is from this argument base that critics of the Bush administration analyze that some Policies developed by the same administration helped to accelerate North Korea’s ambition to acquire nuclear explosives via the highly enriched uranium route ( Boucher 14). North Korea’s active nuclear program raises considerable concern from its immediate neighbors, Japan and South Korea. These two countries stand to suffer adverse effects should North Korea proceed with its unpopular mission to launch nuclear explosives. As analyzed earlier, nuclear explosives have the ability to do immense harm and destruction to both the human life and environment. In fact, Japan and China are examples of nations suffering the effects of nuclear radiations many years after the radiations erupted. Thus it is right within the interests of Japan and South Korea to defend their citizens against a possible nuclear strike by North Korea. (Stossel 3) There are a number of options available to these countries. Conflict resolution through dialogue has always remained as one of the most effective ways to solve disagreements between nations. A committee of administrators, leaders and experts should be formed to help reach an agreeable deal with North Korea. This panel of experts could help advice North Korea about both short and long-term effects of taking such an inferior move to launch a nuclear weapon. North Korea should be made to understand that its citizens stand to lose the most should they go ahead with such a move. Besides, the nuclear explosives launch could agitate a war with its neighbor, Japan and North Korea, should they not stand down. Really, the leadership of North Korea should be working to promote inter its own socio-economic welfare of its people, and develop appropriate relation with its neighbors and other nation of the international community. Although North Korea’s ambition to launch such a strike may be likely to be ignored, it is still worth giving it a try. Another option available to North Korea’s neighbors is to seek the help of the international community and world organizations like the United Nations. The United Nations obviously has more power, influence, and exposure to appropriate mechanism to deal with North Korea’s ambitions. Power states like the United States will be of more influences in trying to persuade North Korea to give another though about its ulterior motives. Imposing sanctions on North Korea may also be of importance. North Korea may feel pinned down from these sanctions and consequently revise its efforts against launching a nuke. However, these sanctions may still be as dangerous as North Korea’s impending nuclear strike; it may feel all nations all at war with it and be rebellious. Such a feeling may even facilitate its urge to launch a nuclear strike. In the event that the worst happens, and North Korea goes ahead to fully execute its mission, the United Nation has the proper machinery to prepare for a humanitarian crisis that will undoubtedly hit North Korea, and its neighbors, Japan and South Korea. These two neighbors of North Korea should also be advised to take a cautionary measure to try and protect their citizens from the effects of a nuclear strike (Yong 1). Powerful militaries like those from the United States of America should be prepared to move into North Korea and stop North Korea’s mission. These should be the last resort should all other channels provided above fail to reach an amicable solution. However, this may escalate into a full war, causing unwanted scenes and loss of lives. In any case, this may be more acceptable all over the world as compared to what the effects of a successful nuclear launch could cause to North Korea and its environs (Kim 2). In today’s political environment, it is necessary for the international community to intervene and stop North Korea from releasing the nukes. It is worth noting that even more recently, North Korea, albeit according to them, made a significant step in launching a nuke that did not successfully launch to the reprieve of much of the international community and North Korea’s neighbors. Lessons should be taken from this failed attempt. The international community should know that North Korea is not fluffing about its nuclear ambitions. Everything that is possible should be done, all the channels described above should be thoroughly explored in order to try, actually make North Korea to abort its mission in the best interest of its citizens, neighbors Japan and South Korea, and the international community at large. Dealing with the effects of a nuke is not something that would want in today’s political environment. With a declining economy and poverty sprawling all over , surely all nations from all over the world are pumping all their concentration in trying to develop better economies and make life cheaper for its citizens, which is precisely the paramount goal of any country. Distraction from these goals just because North Korea released a nuclear weapon is not correct. References Garwin, Richard L.and Von Hippel, Frank N. "A Technical Analysis of North Koreas Oct. 9 Nuclear Test," Arms Control Today, November 2006. Bermudez, Jr. Joseph S. , "North Korea's Nuclear Infrastructure" Jane's Intelligence Review, 1 February 1994, 74-79 Boucher, Richard “Press Statement: North Korean Nuclear Program,” U.S. Department of State, 16 October 2002 Kim, Deok-hyun “S. Korea, U.S. Prepared for ‘Instability’ in N. Korea,” Yonhap News, October 8, 2010 Yong, Dickson. “One Fourth of the Korean Population,” Seoul of Asia, 2008, Bennett, Bruce W. “Uncertainties in the North Korean Nuclear Threat,” Rand National Defense Research Institute, 2010, Stossel, Scott “North Korea: The War Game,” The Atlantic (July/August, 2005), Read More