Background Information
North Korea has long been associated with nuclear activity, creating international controversy since the early 1950s. On September 9th, 2017, North Korea stated that they had successfully tested a “hydrogen” bomb, sparking heated debate amongst politicians and experts alike. The test created numerous earthquakes and prompted the United Nations to review the security situation and implications of the Korean peninsula.
Experts’ Perspectives
Nuclear experts believe that the hydrogen bomb tested in North Korea was in fact, a thermonuclear bomb. If indeed true, then this test marks a significant advance in North Korea’s nuclear capabilities, considered by many to be a direct threat to the peace of the region and the entire world.
International experts point out, however, that there were initial signs that North Korea was tested the nuclear bomb before, in past years. These signs all culminated to the test on September 9th, 2017, which resulted in the largest seismic activity ever recorded in the area, suggesting that the power of the bomb was more significant than initially predicted.
Analysis and Insights
In the past decade, North Korea has made impressive progress in its nuclear weapon capabilities. As a result, it is now a legitimate threat to both its neighbors and the global community, the most recent example being its successful hydrogen bomb test.
Just as concerning is the fact that North Korea has reportedly concentrated its efforts on miniaturizing warheads, cutting down the size of the nuclear bombs to fit in ballistic missiles. This development has raised alarm across the world, as the bomb’s range would be expanded substantially.
In fact, some intelligence agencies suspect that North Korea is already able to build a miniaturized nuclear warhead. These same agencies have also highlighted North Korea’s unrestricted efforts to test and expand the payload of the recently tested hydrogen bomb. Taken this into account, the North Korean nuclear arsenal would become even more powerful and unpredictable.
Fears & Resistance
Given the amount of progress made by North Korea in nuclear weapon capabilities, many military strategists fear that global security is on the decline. Many countries attempting to counter the threat of a nuclear bomb have faced obstacles due to the rule of Kim Jong-Un, the man in charge of North Korea and its nuclear weapons program.
The hostile character of the North Korean regime has made diplomatic options difficult to execute, underscoring the origin of the instability in Northeast Asia. The dilemma faced by global governments revolves around how to protect their citizens from a North Korean attack, how to limit the impact of its weapons programs, and how to prevent the corruption of nuclear policies.
The international community has agreed to impose several sanctions against North Korea in the form of economic embargoes, with the most significant being the harsh sanctions imposed by the United States, for example. The effects of the embargo will make it almost impossible for North Korea to expand their nuclear weapon capabilities.
Current Solutions
Various governments have embarked on multiple initiatives to hold North Korea accountable and limit their military capabilities. These include international arms control agreements, such as the peaceful use of nuclear energy and the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. Political pressure has also been implemented to discourage North Korea from continuing with its nuclear ambitions.
Furthermore, the United Nations Security Council has unanimously approved a resolution that affects trade and financial activities related to North Korea. This has increased diplomatic tensions and caused the North Korean leader to call on the country to increase its nuclear capabilities. The international community is determined to counter the threat and protect the world’s civilians from the consequences of a nuclear attack.
Actions Taken by the US
The US has taken a more aggressive stance against Pyongyang in recent years. President Trump has expressed his concern over North Korea’s nuclear ambitions multiple times, and has even gone so far as to call for the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
The US has imposed additional sanctions against North Korea, in the forms of travel restrictions, weapons exports and other trade measures. These measures have been universally condemned by North Korea and impose the additional demand of prevention of nuclear proliferation.
The US has also embarked on a more aggressive military activity in the region, deploying aircraft carriers, deploying warships and committing to joint military exercises with South Korea. This has all been in response to the nuclear threats posed by North Korea and has drawn criticism from many experts.
Potential Impact
The success of North Korea’s hydrogen bomb test and their weapons development have led to an environment of fear and instability in the region. Although it is difficult to predict the exact impact of the explosion on the world, it is certain that it would be catastrophic if used.
Experts warn that future nuclear interactions with North Korea could have immense consequences. The current nuclear capability of North Korea is not yet clear, but it is certain that a substantial risk is posed by the aggressive actions of the North Korean Nuclear weapon program.
What is certain is that North Korea is making progress towards becoming a nuclear power and the world’s leaders are struggling to find solutions to this serious issue. In the immediate stages, it is clear that Kim Jong-Un must be kept in check and his weapons ambitions should be monitored closely.
International Cooperation
The international community shares the view that North Korea must be stopped from building and possessing more nuclear weapons. In this sense, diplomatic efforts have been put forward to convince North Korea’s leader to abandon his nuclear program. However, these diplomatic efforts have been unsuccessful, so now the only option seems to be economic sanctions imposed by leading nations and the United Nations Security Council.
Economic sanctions will undoubtedly create further tensions and make the negotiations between the two sides more difficult. However, it is currently the only way to effectively limit the proliferation of North Korea’s weapons capabilities.
Various countries have already taken steps to limit any economic activities that are likely to financially support the North Korean nuclear program. The world remains doubtful, but this strategy is currently the only way to prevent North Korea from acquiring further nuclear weapons.
Sanctions
In addition to economic sanctions, the United Nations has imposed travel and arms embargos against North Korea, banning all arms exports and setting up an arms embargo. These embargos are designed to deny North Korea access to weapons which could potentially be used for the ultimate destructive purpose: nuclear warfare.
This array of sanctions is not without its detractors, however. Humanitarian organizations have voiced their concern over how these measures will affect the North Korean economy, leading to further inequality and compounding existing issues. Additionally, it could potentially increase tensions in the region, leading to a violent confrontation between North Korea and other countries.
Nevertheless, the majority opinion still stands in support of the sanctions, as they are a necessary evil in order to prevent any further development of the North Korean nuclear weapons program. Recent events, such as the hydrogen bomb test, has led many to believe that the sanctions should be improved, in order to limit North Korea’s access to nuclear tech, materials and technology.
International Relations
Although North Korea has remained isolated from the international community for several decades, it has still managed to acquire technical expertise, materials and the funds necessary to make significant advances in its capability to produce and possess nuclear weapons.
Despite this, it is important to note that almost all of North Korea’s nuclear weapons materials, technology and funding must have come from another source. It is therefore necessary for the international community to take steps to limit the flow of these materials and technologies to North Korea, in order to prevent further weapons proliferation.
The overarching aim of Western nations engaging in dialogue with North Korea has been to de-escalate the tension on the Korean Peninsula and to discredit the validity of North Korea’s nuclear weapons program.
Nevertheless, it is clear that the North Korean government is still set on expanding its nuclear capabilities, despite the sanctions. As a result, the international community should ensure that it is prepared for any potential nuclear conflict that might occur in Northeast Asia.
