North Korea

Introduction

The state of the North Korean nuclear weapons program, and the purpose of such a program have been topics of international debate since the early 1990's. North Korea has an arsenal of weapons of mass destruction, and claims to possess nuclear weapons. First test occurred in 2006, when the missile failed 40 seconds after launch. On the 25th May 2009 N. Korea conducted a second test of nuclear weapons at the same location as the original test (not confirmed). The test weapon was of the same magnitude as the atomic bombs dropped on Japan in the 2nd World War. At the same time of the test N. Korea tested 2 short range missiles.

Discussion

North Korea's October 9, 2006, nuclear test has propelled the region into a more dangerous phase and has challenged the viability of the international nonproliferation regime, with North Korea effectively becoming the world's ninth nuclear-capable state. The test reignited long-standing policy debates in the United States and among North Korea's immediate neighbors over how to pursue nonproliferation objectives in Northeast Asia. Many observers thought that such a test would tip the balance in at least Washington, if not North Korea's neighbors, toward a more confrontational stance and bring the international community closer to applying maximum pressure to force North Korea to give up its nuclear program, perhaps even by military means(Michael 4). With the resumption of six-party talks among the United States, North and South Korea, China, Japan, and Russia and the February 2007 agreement, critics argue the test has done exactly the opposite. Instead, the test catalyzed major policy shifts, enhancing the potential effectiveness of the six-party process and, in turn, the viability of any Northeast Asian collective security mechanism. That viability now depends on whether all of the parties are willing to continue to subordinate some of their own national strategic objectives to the commonly identified goals of denuclearization, normalization, economic development, and peace.  On October 14, the United Nations Security Council approved sanctions (penalties, usually economic) against North Korea. Kim called the sanctions "a declaration of war." (Bolton 2) But under pressure from China, he reconsidered. Ten days after the test blast, Kim apologized to Chinese officials. "We have no plans for additional nuclear tests," he said. The question is: Can he be trusted?

The complication of Nuclear weapon's issue

This North Korean nuclear issue is very complicated, because this is not just problem between U.S. and North Korea. Many countries near North Korea are deeply related such as South Korea, China, Japan, and Russia. U.S. can not make the same move that they did to Iraq to solve this matter because of these countries. China will not let U.S. to make military action on their back yard, and a lot of South Korean is afraid of the second Korean War because they know how many people will die if there is another war in Korean peninsula. The another reason that makes U.S. to hesitate attacking North Korea to change government which they really want to change as they did in Iraq is, North Korea does not have natural resources as Iraq did, and ...