NORTH KOREAN NUCLEAR PROGRAM: A MEMOIR

For the first time Soviet Union challenged this monopoly by conducting successful nuclear test in 1949! After this Britain, France and China emerged as nuclear countries in a row.

- Keerthiraj

North Korea turned itself into a nuclear power in spite of UN tough sanctions. North Korean President Kim Jong-un's order to keep nuclear missiles ready to attack at any time rang the bell of danger! Despite breathless international condemnations the Kim regime has a tough stance on the world. There is little doubt that China’s back door support is the reason for President Kim’s belligerent attitude. On January 6 and February 7 North Korea tested banned ballistic missiles. With this development North Korea’s immediate enemy South Korea and Japan are worried about their national security. Some grave statements made by president Kim directly against United States of America turned North Korean nuclear issue more complex.

During 1945 US had the monopoly over nuclear devices. For the first time Soviet Union challenged this monopoly by conducting successful nuclear test in 1949! After this Britain, France and China emerged as nuclear countries in a row. Cuba's nuclear crisis of 1962 and increasing nuclear threat compelled the World Powers to take initiatives like Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in 1968.The purpose of these arrangements is to prevent proliferation or spread of nuclear technology to other countries and nuclear weapons should be safe in the hands of first five nuclear powers. Initially North Korea was a member of NPT and came out of the treaty in 2003.

South Korea, probable victim of North Korea's nuclear program followed the ‘Policy of Trustpolitik’, accordingly it relied on United States relied for its defense. But today South Korean leaders also interested to be a nuclear power against rising nuclear threat from North Korea. According to a recent survey conducted by the ASAN Institute, 54 percent of South Koreans voted in favor South Korea's nuclear program! Naturally, South Korea initiated talks with US to adopt Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD). China already opposed any kind of American intervention in the Korean peninsula. Now China is supporting North Korea only in backstage and possibly China can use this American intervention as an excuse to be the mainstream supporter of North Korea in the near future! The nuclear problem Korean peninsula is not limited to East Asian region, but provided a stage for two competing world powers. On the one hand America is struggling to retain its position as a global ‘Big brother’. On the other hand china is waiting for a small opportunity to spread its influence all over the world!

North Korea's overwhelming interest in nuclear devices has some obvious reasons. North Korea is not a super power country as it seems to be in Kim bluster speech. North Korean defense forces still rely on 1970s era techniques. It is easy and less cost effective to acquire a nuclear device than modernizing this outdated army! Even Kim believed Nuclear weapon can keep America out of the Korean peninsula. After aggressive US interference in Iraq and Libya, Kim felt more insecurity that North Korea will have the fate in near future. On March 2, UN Security Council unanimously adopted ‘Resolution 2270’ acknowledging that the embargo on North Korea, and restrictions imposed on trade, and other fields. Furthermore, strengthened the sanctions imposed in 2006. North Korea's provocative stance even after international boycott vindicates secret Chinese support to North Korea. Approximately 90% of North Korean trade links are with China. Thus 'Resolution 2270' will be successful only with honest implementation from Chinese side.

  

 KEERTHIRAJ (krj492@gmail.com)

·   Currently serving as a Faculty for International Relations and Political Science at Alliance University, Bangalore. 

      (This article was published in Central Chronicle on 13 March 2016)