The following paper will analyze the historical factors that led to the North Korean nuclear threat. The production of plutonium and nuclear bombs by North Korea has become a defensive strategy to protect themselves from all external influences of other countries and also, it allows North Korea to protect its sovereignty which is something that had never been done before.
The entire subject can be summarized as a conflict between the politics of Washington which argues that North Korea is deliberately producing nuclear weapons, and those of Pyongyang discussing that the United States is focused on world domination relating back to their failure on taking over during the Korean War. In order to better understand the current situation, it is paramount to analyze the crisis, its causes, and victims.
North Korea is located in North Eastern Asia and is surrounded by South Korea, China, and Russia. Japan is locates 100 miles South East of the country divided by the Korean Strait. The country’s population is twenty-five million and its main form of government is communism. North Korea was created after the national liberation of Japanese control in 1945.
In this year it was territorially divided from South Korea due to political differences and the support of foreign countries. The United States and Japan supported a democracy for the South, while Russia and China supported a communist government.
The most important point of analysis to understand the North Korean situation begins by observing the Korean society and the role of this group in its history prior to the 1945 territorial division. Throughout the nineteenth century Korea was invaded by Russia, China, and Japan in various occasions. For many centuries these countries took advantage of the weaker country and tried to impose their culture and governments.
The Korean society seemed to be very passive in relation to all other Asian countries who were constantly concerned about the situation of Korea.
According to author Young Whan Kihl, at the time when Japan controlled the country they imposed a strong militarist rule that totally disfranchised and exploited the Korean people.
This rule lasted for thirty-six years, contributing to increased nationalism which led to anti-Japanese activities in order to keep alive the dream of Korea’s independence. In this time of confusion and chaos, and with the final partition of Korea made by the allies in 1945, the homogeneity of the country including traditions, values, and a very rich culture were being divided.
The division of Korea by the thirty-eight parallel was seen as a temporary limit for the inhabitants of the country. They were more aware of the issue of independence and the rebirth of a new country than with the fact that their own land had been divided into two.
Only when the United Nations began to organize separate elections for the two states did the idea of a divided Nation invade the thoughts of the society.
At the same time, with the possibility of a Cold War between the United States and the U.S.S.R., Korea was seen as a strategic military location in the world. For the first time in Korea’s history, a newly divided country had to work separately in order to achieve a common solution for this new conflict. Thus, North and South Koreans did not pay attention to the problem of reunification. By 1953, offensives from both countries began and allied forces to each of the Koreas further pushed the conflict for territorial earnings. In summary, North Korea, China, and the Soviet Union were at war against South Korea, the United States, and Japan.
The nuclear threat arose when the North Korean government began to develop a large nuclear facility in the city of Yongbyon along with three smaller facilities that were producing plutonium, the main component for the construction of atomic bombs.
The country admitted to have nuclear weapons and to be working on building up its arsenal. The primary reason for the North Koreans to begin this development was to deter South Korea, the United States, and Japan from invading their country.
Since this moment, drastic measures all around the world were taken in order to control the continuous development of this threat not only for Asian countries but also for those Western powers that used to take advantage of North Korea’s weak military and government. Ambassador Jamsheed Marker stated that for president George W. Busch, North Korea had become part of the "axis of evil" and together with the United Nations the United States proceeded to apply sanctions to North Korea which were perceived by the government of Pyongyang as "an act of war".
A powerful argument of why North Korea had engaged into nuclear development could be that they had obtained a strong means for non-aggression against those countries who at one time threatened them with invasion.
The production and usage of nuclear weapons might not be an appropriate manner in order to gain international recognition or support as North Korea has done, but we must also consider that this strategy is a final resource implemented by a moribund government which screamed repeatedly for international help but was never heard.
There is a direct connection between the mentality of people during the Korean War and the present nuclear controversy. Looking back at the Non Proliferation Treaty (N.P.T.), leaders of the United States argue that if North Korea is allowed to act fraudulently on the N.P.T., it will be impossible to contain the spread of nuclear weapons around the world. However, past U.S. actions raise serious questions about the sincerity of this argument.
According to Dr. Martin Hart-Landsberg in his Technology Review analysis for nuclear proliferation, Israel, India, and Pakistan, all known to have nuclear weapons, have refused to sign the N.P.T. or allow inspections to their nuclear facilities. South Africa, another country that had weapons but decided to halt production in 1990, did not sign the treaty until 1992. In none of these cases the United States has looked for tough international action and furthermore, there is no actual proof that North Korea is actually producing nuclear weapons.
After observing these examples, we could say that the United States is simply focusing on the North Korean case because of resentment towards the loss of the war in the 1950’s when the Pyongyang government resisted falling under American forces.
As is common knowledge, there are many countries in constant violation of the N.P.T. but it does not seem that the United Nations is being reciprocal to them as them are to North Korea.
Even though North Korea violated the N.P.T. by not allowing inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (I.A.E.A) and also by continuing production of plutonium, The United States has also violated the treaty in a more considerable manner.
According to the treaty, the nuclear weapon states (China, England, France, Russia, and the United States) may not threaten non nuclear weapon states at any moment and furthermore must protect them from any other nuclear weapon state who wishes to attack them at any given time.
The United States has repeatedly threatened North Korea with nuclear attack which provides with a solid proof of being in direct violation of the Non Proliferation Treaty.
North Korea and its government have facts such as the one just mentioned to be used as an excuse for their nuclear arms build up and to be seen internationally as the country which is being oppressed by the United States.
Lately, United Nations’ officials have been organizing the next session of talks with North Koreans. In this conference the countries of North Korea, South Korea, The United States, Japan, Russia, and China would be invited in order to bring their input to the table and be able to consider their points of view. It is easy to observe how the Pyongyang government is not convinced about the commitment of the countries involved in resolving the problem because almost immediately after the U.N. announcement, the government of North Korea through an unidentified spokesperson for the foreign ministry, created doubts about their country’s participation in the future six-party talks aimed at resolving the nuclear crisis.
In conclusion, the reasons or excuses exposed by the influenced countries throughout the last fifty years have been valid in its majority.
The subject now relies on a strong, impartial international institution like the United Nations which can arrange for mandatory talks to make both parties follow a structured policy to reach a solution. The defensive strategy adopted by North Korea by producing nuclear weapons as a way to deter international influence in their own sovereignty, is certainly the reciprocal and only option for them to be able to compete in the global markets.
Bibliography
Demick, Barbara and Sonny, Efron "N. Korea says it may seize reactor." St Petersburg Times, 7 November 2003, sec. A.
Hart-Landsberg, Martin, "Who is Threatening Who", Technology Review 97 (1994): 72.
Marker, Jamsheed, interviewed by author, 6 October 2003.
Sigal, Leon V, Disarming Strangers: Nuclear Diplomacy with North Korea (Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, c1998).
Whan Kihl, Young, Korea and the World: Beyonf the Cold War (Oxford: Westview Press, c1994).
Fabio Fermi
November 15th 2003