North Korea: A Nuclear Nation sula, a consequence of stronger sanctions, would precipitate a devastating refugee crisis on China’s border. Similarly, Russia, in a constant power struggle against the In recent weeks, Kim Jong Un’s United States, views the North as a strahostile displays of nuclear and interconti- tegic buffer between them and the US-alnental capabilities have created a growing lied South. As long as this is the case, both international crisis. True to its distincChina and Russia are certain to support tion as the “land of lousy options,” North North Korea and reject or undermine any Korea and the surrounding geopolitical destabilizing strategies, including sanclandscape present very few routes for tions. peaceful resolution. Much hope has been Relying on leverage gained from expressed for the use of sanctions, Rus- effective sanctions, any negotiation, insian and Chinese cooperation, and even cluding one based on the Iran Deal, that a strategy based on the 2016 Iran Deal. requires the North’s forfeiture of nucleThere exists, however, only two practiar capabilities is, thus, impractical. The cable options for resolution: war or US leader of a small, impoverished nation capitulation. surrounded by stronger countries, Kim On Monday, the UN Security Jong Un rationally views nuclear weapons Council approved new, tougher sancas essential to his regime’s survival. Mentions against North Korea, cutting, for acing to the US, nuclear weapons protect example, oil imports by 30%. Although North Korea from American incursions supposedly a victory, these sanctions, a and further isolate and weaken the watered-down version of the original South. As Vladimir Putin explained, “[The proposal, are far too weak to succeed. North would] rather eat grass than give The North for decades has been the most up their nuclear program.” Thus, only the heavily sanctioned country on earth and most significant leverage could enable still has managed to survive, experiencing successful denuclearization. nearly a 4% growth in their economy in Without the support of China or 2016. With the privileged thereby satis- Russia and, thus, without sufficient sancfied, Kim Jong Un, unconcerned for the tions, no diplomatic routes of denuclewellbeing of his people, has no substantial arizing North Korea remain. As now the pressure from within his country. Thus, only means by which the US can achieve only the most extreme external pressures this objective, war must be considered could elicit North Korean cooperation. Al- as a potential strategy. There is, howevthough a step in the right direction, these er, an alternative to devastating nuclear new sanctions are certainly not strong conflict: The global community must enough to do so. acquiesce to North Korea’s possession of Sufficiently restrictive measures nuclear weapons. Although erratic, Kim can, in fact, only be implemented with Jong Un is not irrational and understands complete Chinese and Russian coopera- that war would mean extinction for his tion, which certainly will not occur for nation. Comforted by the principal of the foreseeable future. Accounting for Mutually Assured Destruction, the North 90% of North Korea’s foreign trade, Chi- would be unlikely to make any imprudent na has a tangible incentive to maintain decisions with these weapons. Nevertherelations with Kim Jong Un. Moreover, less, such a policy would of course require the destabilization of the Korean penin- increased military preparedness in the February 2016
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Volume III • Edition I
The Podium | Opinion Pieces
Author-Jake Carter ‘18 Section-Opinion Pieces
