Summary: The Nuclear Threat Of North Korea

Another threat comes from North Korea. Choi (2015), argues that the North Korea nuclear problem is becoming significantly serious. It withdrew from the Treaty of the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons in 2003 and since then it has launched nuclear tests three times, officially declaring itself a nuclear state. North Korea employs the policy, byunjin in which the state pursuits nuclear power and economic development (28; 29). North Korea has been an ominous and uncanny neighbor for Japan. Many Japanese citizens have been kidnaped by North Korea, which is the long lasting unsolved diplomatic issue between Japan and North Korea, giving Japan an impression that North Korea is a state where international common sense does not apply. Besides, geographical proximity makes Japan particularly nervous …show more content…
In addition, as Choi states (2015), even though international community tried to denuclearize North Korea, the six-party talk, which involves China, Russia, the US, South Korea, Japan, and North Korea, could not hold back North Korea’s nuclear ambition (28). Under this circumstance, it is essential for Japan to demonstrate its military capability that will work as a deterrence for North Korea utilizing its weapon. The Japanese security policy has been closely tied with the United States and every shift in the United State has greatly influenced Japan. After the Second World War, the US drafted Japanese constitution aiming at complete demilitarization of Japan. Nevertheless, the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950 brought the first major change in the US-Japan security policy. General MacArthur authorized the establishment of the Notional Police Reserve (Ministry of Defense 2015). The US needed backup force to confront the threat of the