Originally published on the CGS blog on January 15, 2016.
North Korea claims to have completed a successful test of a hydrogen bomb on Wednesday, January 6th. This test (North Korea’s first in three years) carries the potential for nuclear war. Whether successful or not, the test has allowed North Korea to move yet another step closer to the possibility of propelling a nuclear missile toward the United States or any other country in the World.
Not only has North Korea’s test caused tension between itself and the rest of the world, it has also caused tension between the United States and China. Since the test, the US and China have been entrenched in arguments regarding China’s continuing support for North Korea. Fortunately however, US Secretary of State John Kerry and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi agreed to work closely together to address their shared concerns about North Korea’s nuclear capabilities. The US has put pressure on China to tighten its control over North Korea.
China has some important choices to make in the immediate future if it wants North Korea to remain stable. One option is to cut aid to North Korea, but doing this would mean an even worse quality of life for the innocent citizens there who are already living in severe poverty. By running a nuclear test, North Korea has essentially shouted to the world that they are aggressive, active, and ready to go to war. The UN Security Council was quick to condemn this test as a “clear threat to international peace and security.”
In response to the test, South Korea resumed broadcasting propaganda across the Demilitarized Zone. This broadcasting has been a large point of contention between South Korea and the US. There is a large possibility that the broadcast will spark a reaction from North Korea. It is hard to understand why South Korea would provoke North Korea at such an unsteady time; this could only be a match to the fire. I do not believe that the most reasonable answer to North Korea’s aggression is to respond aggressively.
How do you reason with the most secretive country in the world? To me, only one thing is clear: the world must come together to put an end to nuclear power. The UN sanctions placed on North Korea and China have had little effect in the past, and they will not have an effect until the countries of the world join together to condemn the use of nuclear weaponry.
