Don't Forget about North Korea

google images-Leader  Kim-Jung-un

With the recent Boston Marathon bombing tragedy the North Korean threats have moved to second place.  However, as a country we are still dealing with the North Korean threats and nothing has been settled yet, but it seems as if things are quietly diminishing. 

The Conservative Papers blog-missle test

This all started back in February when North Korea decided to conduct a third nuclear test leading the United Nations Security Council to propose tougher sanctions against the country.  “I didn’t really take it too seriously at first just because I know the history of North Korea with nuclear weapons and specifically, threats to the United States” said junior criminology major Mark Capetola.  As a result of these proposed sanctions North Korea became very direct and threatening with the potential use of nuclear weapons towards South Korea, the U.S. and other Asian neighbors such as Japan.

 In March, New York Times writer Choe Sang-Hun reported that the South Korean military released a statement regarding the North’s threats saying “If North Korea attempts a provocation that threatens the lives and security of our people, our military will forcefully and decisively strike not only th
e origin of provocation and its supporting forces but also its command leadership.” Senior political science major, and a current intern for New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Shane Catts, says that we should take North Korea seriously, but isn’t too worried about the U.S.  “Now what also makes me not as worried is knowing that yea, they might be able to make one strike on the U.S. but it would be a regime ending response by the U.S. and U.N.  It would totally decimate the country.  They don’t have the military capacity like the U.S. does so there is no way they could fight against the world,” said Catts. 

BBC News Asia-launch estimation

The latest threats from North Korea include U.S. territories such as Washington D.C. as well as states such as Colorado and Arkansas.  These threats seem alarming at first, but there is clear evidence that North Korea may not have the capability to accurately pinpoint its weapons to its desired locations.  According to a Huffington Post article, in a recent North Korean propaganda video Colorado Springs, CO was mentioned as a desired target, but the arrow used to show the missile traveling from North Korea to Colorado Springs happens to be located on top of Little Rock, AR.

North Korea has the weapon power to launch a missile capable of reaching the U.S. but many believe these threats are just another attempt to be recognized and sustain power, and so that leader Kim-Jong-un can get national attention in order to possibly help his starving, poor country.  Other people believe that it is all a big misunderstanding and that the parties involved are too stubborn to just civilly settle things. 

“I feel like we have a real disconnect in direct communication with North Korea, it’s a weird thing that I have an unsettled feeling about,” said Capetola.  For example, in a BBC Newsarticle released in March Professor John Delury of South Korean's Yonsei University said that if you look at past instances similar to this one or times where things have happened there have always been clear warning signs from the North.  He believes that the U.S. and South Korea misread the North’s intentions and misunderstand its capabilities, causing the U.S. and South Korea to be stuck in a North Korean quagmire. 
  
Remember, North Korea may not have the technology to accurately attack the U.S. but there are more than 28,000 U.S. troops based in South Korea which is the easiest target.  There are also another 40,000 U.S. troops in Japan and a large military base in Guam, both easy targets for a North Korean missile.  Not to mention, if Japan was affected by a launch the U.S. is obliged to help defend them due to the post-World War II security alliancebetween Washington and Tokyo. 

The latest threat that government officials and authorities were worried about was a possible missile launch on April 15 because North Korea celebrated Jong-un's grandfather's 101 birthday (Kim Il-sung's).  However, no launches or anything threatening has occurred.  Although nothing major has occurred in the past week or so the U.S. and South Korea are still on high alert.  “I think the rhetoric has been toned down thanks to the diplomatic efforts of John Kerry with China,” said Catts.  Cats did mention that even though nothing has happened as of late we still have to take North Korea seriously as a country because of their nuclear capability.  “They’re still trying to develop their nuclear program and they don’t seem scared to use it against the U.S. even though they know it would be a regime ending conflict,” said Catts.