Most Read
Most Commented
Read more like this
mk-logo
From Our Readers
Nuclear confrontation with US could be disastrous for North Korea

North Korea’s nuclear posturing is bound to increase tension in East Asia. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is toying with his new found nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles and appears to ignore the dangers that a nuclear weapon will bring to the North Korean population. All it takes is a mistake or a mis-step by North Korea, whose nuclear checks on controls are technically suspect, for a conflagration and apocalypse.

Unlike the Korean War in the early 1950s that dragged on for a couple of years, any war between the US and North Korea could spell self-destruction for North Korea.

Unlike the Iranians who were sensible to ward off a confrontation with the US, North Korea led by its young and brash leader, who came to power through dynastic succession, is simply inconsiderate and endangering the lives of his people. All he needs is to look at Nagasaki and Hiroshima, a few hundred kilometers away to feel the apocalyptic effect of nuclear bombs. Nuclear-armed nations need to be self-restrained, and not act threateningly like North Korea.

Part of the blame should be on China, the only country North Korea listens to and which is its economic lifeline despite the UN sanctions including the latest punitive measures. China has hitherto used the North Korea card against the US for its support for Taiwan and lately the South China Sea spat and also revenge against Japan, its Second World War enemy.

China it appears wants to benefit from instability and military threats emanating from the Korean Peninsula in order to irritate the US. The Chinese game has mis-fired and the US has begun to place powerful missiles in South Korea to counter the North’s threats. The US may follow suit in Japan also. These missiles will become a threat to China very much like Russia feeling threatened by the sighting of missiles by the US in the European states bordering Russia.

Furthermore, the US is on a short fuse considering its debacles in Afghanistan , Iraq and Syria and could react strongly to North Korean aggression. It could also lead to South Korea and Japan deciding to go nuclear to counter the North Korea threat. In this aspect Japan and South Korea can easily overtake North Korea as the latter have greater technical and nuclear expertise. It is only self-restraint that has stopped Japan and South Korea from acquiring nuclear weapons.

China has enormous power and influence over North Korea and can even bring down Kim Jong-un and replace him with a moderate leader but China is pretending to be helpless. Perhaps North Korea has become too stubborn even for China now.

China needs to work for a peaceful North Korea that will abandon its dangerous nuclear program and divert its meager resources for the benefit of its long suffering people. North Korea is also endangering China’s security as the US has begun to place missiles to protect South Korea. In future even more powerful missiles could be placed in South Korea and possible Japan to counter the incessant threat from North Korea.

The world would like to see the two Koreas re-united and the economic prosperity enjoyed by South Korea also shared with the deprived and captive North Koreans. The international community would also like to see the peaceful Korean re-unification, as happened between West and East Germany, and not by another Korean War.

ADS