North Korea: Tolerate, Retaliate, or Negotiate?

Partition Leads to War At the end of WWII, Korea was divided at the 38th parallel into Soviet (North Korea) and US (South Korea) zones of occupation. In 1948, rival governments were established. The People’s Democratic Republic of Korea was in the north and the Republic of Korea in the south. Relations between them became increasingly strained and on June 25, 1950, North Korean forces invaded South Korea.

The United Nations quickly condemned the invasion as an act of aggression, demanded the withdrawal of North Korean troops from the South and called upon its members to aid South Korea. On June 27, President Truman authorized the use of American land, sea, and air forces in Korea; a week later the United Nations placed the forces of 15 other member nations under US command. General Douglas MacArthur was appointed supreme commander by President Truman. The war raged on for 3 years until an armistice was achieved on June 27, 1953.

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Kim Il Sung Kim Il-Sung headed North Korea’s government from 1948 until his death in 1994. He was referred to as the “Great Leader” and had near total control over the whole country. People were taught that he could do no wrong. He promoted the goal of Juche, a philosophy of Korean self-reliance and cut North Korea off from all foreign trade and interaction with the outside world.

Kim Jong Il Kim Il Sung’s death introduced a period of uncertainty as his son, Kim Jong Il (Dear Leader) assumed the mantle of leadership. He promoted the goal of turning North Korea into a nuclear power as a defensive measure against enemies. Nuclear talk was overshadowed by a famine that struct the nation in 1998. Two million to three million people died of starvation, despite foreign aid.

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Life in the Hermit Kingdom Secretive Egregious human rights violations Executions and torture Inhumane conditions in prison camps Denial of freedom of expression and movement Lack of religious freedom Limited access to North Korea from outsiders Tightly controlled media Persecution of refugees Cult of personality centered around the Dear Leader

Satellite Image of North Korea at Night

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Axis of Evil In January, 2002 President George W. Bush declared in his State of the Union speech that North Korea is part of an “axis of evil.” 1. Why would Bush call North Korea evil? Hint: Think of the 9/11 attacks. 2. What 2 other countries were also part of the “axis of evil?”

Axis of Evil “Our goal is to prevent regimes that sponsor terror from threatening America or our friends and allies with weapons of mass destruction. Some of these regimes have been pretty quiet since September 11, but we know their true nature. States like these, and their terrorist allies, constitute an axis of evil, arming to threaten the peace of the world. By seeking weapons of mass destruction, these regimes pose a grave and growing danger. They could provide these arms to terrorists, giving them the means to match their hatred. They could attack our allies or attempt to blackmail the United States. In any of these cases, the price of indifference would be catastrophic.” ~President George W. Bush Iran and Iraq were also part of the “axis of evil.”

UN Security Council Resolutions 1718 & 1874 North Korea must halt its nuclear weapons program and refrain from conducting any nuclear tests or launches. Shipments of cargo going to and from North Korea by land, sea, or air will be stopped and inspected for weapons of mass destruction. A ban is placed on imports and exports of military equipment including tanks, aircraft, helicopters, warships and missiles. Individuals and companies involved in North Korea’s weapon’s program will have their assets frozen. There will be a ban on luxury goods into North Korea including plasma TVs, liquor, fur, Cadillacs, motorcycles, and Segways.

Diplomatic Roller Coaster If the North Koreans comply with the sanctions, the US promised to remove North Korea from its list of state sponsors of terrorism. North Korean officials complained that the US did not follow through on its promise so it continued with its weapons testing. In 2012, North Korea was removed from the list of state sponsors of terrorism. The countries on the list are Cuba, Syria, Iran, and Sudan. Despite being removed from the list, North Korea continued a pattern of antagonism.

Inside North Korea

Kim Jong Un The “Great Successor” took control of North Korea after the death of his father. Little is known about Kim Jong Un and there is a lot of speculation about his leadership. The latest rocket launch indicates that he is serious about advancing North Korea’s military capabilities. The question of how to respond to North Korea remains uncertain.

Tensions Reach a Crisis Point Shelling of Yeongpyeon Island Kidnapping of Japanese Citizens Sinking of the Cheonan Arrest of US Journalists December 12, 2012 Rocket Launch Execution of Kim Jong-un’s uncle

Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty Signed by 188 nations, this 1968 treaty separates the world’s nuclear “haves” and “have nots.” The treaty’s five nuclear weapon states agree not to transfer nuclear weapons or weapons technology to the nonnuclear weapon states and nonnuclear states accordingly agree not to build or acquire nuclear weapons. The treaty’s authority is strained by the actions of Israel, India, and Pakistan -- which have never signed the treaty -- and North Korea.

What options do we have regarding the threat of North Korea?

Acquiescence Concede failure and accept that North Korea has nuclear weapons. Such admission of defeat would be embarrassing and weaken the perception of the US as a world power. This could set off a regional arms race. Other nuclear hopefuls will become emboldened and seek out weapons without fear.

Manage and Contain Accept that North Korea has weapons, but work to make sure that they do not increase their arsenal or share information. No export of nuclear technology, no more bombs, no “better” bombs. If there is a nuclear strike against the US, North Korea will be targeted and in the crosshairs of a US retaliatory strike. North Korea is not trustworthy and this can lead to acquiescence.

Rollback Step up sanctions and incentives until North Korea agrees to give up its weapons. The US, South Korea, Russia, Japan, and China must all work together for a common goal and put aside their individual motivations. It is especially important for China to cooperate. North Korea must feel respected and not fear that it will be overthrown.

Regime Change Negotiation does not work. Go to all out war and remove Kim Jong Un from power. Troops will be put in jeopardy and Americans will die.