Last Resort for Survival: North Korea’s Nuclear Program
North Korea’s nuclear program poses a threat to South Korea, one country amongst multiple other neighboring Southeast Asian nations targeted by the socialist regime. Despite pressure and resource withdrawal from North Korea as attempts to stop the program’s development, the country continues to expand its nuclear program despite its initially already poor economy. Tensions between major powers, such as the U.S., Japan, and South Korea heightened throughout the last decade as North Korea continued to develop missiles and perform tests over restricted foreign territory. The country’s development and continuation of its program opposed and politically isolated itself from major powers such …show more content…
and the USSR’s occupation of Korea after the surrender of Japan initially intended to be temporary until Korea’s expected reunification. The Soviet Union’s blockage of the election for a democratically elected leader led to the separation of Korea and heightened tensions with the U.S. The USSR’s aid to the development of The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), or North Korea, led by Kim Il-Sung opposite the U.S.’s support of Syngman Rhee as the leader of the Republic of Korea (ROK), or South Korea, resulting in the countries’ divide and fight for reunification led by their own state. By 1956, North Korea began learning to develop its own nuclear weapons with help from the Soviet Union, and continued developing them even after the USSR’s decline. North Korea continues to develop its program despite intervention and pressure from the U.S. and other nations in Southeast Asia after its withdrawal from the Non-Proliferation Treaty in 2003. The treaty, which came into effect in 1970, aimed to control the spread of nuclear technology, including preventing the development and aiming towards the eventual disarmament of nuclear weapons. For the past decade, North Korea has spent billions of dollars on nuclear weapons despite its poverty and international …show more content…
and other nations. The Soviet Union’s close relations to North Korea in the Korean War caused the U.S. and Japan to oppose North Korea, causing a wider divide and gap towards reunification with South Korea. North Korea’s absorption and integration of Soviet interests further instigated American and Japanese opposition. The Soviet Union’s integration of North Korea as an ally served as a way for the USSR to build upon its relations with China through North Korea. By granting North Korea advanced military technology, The USSR attempted to bring closer relationships between them to eventually reach China. Since the 1960s, North Korea has been able to develop chemical weapons with the support of Soviet scientists. The USSR supplied North Korea with ballistic missiles, plutonium, and technology, allowing the jumpstart of the nuclear
North Korea’s nuclear program poses a threat to South Korea, one country amongst multiple other neighboring Southeast Asian nations targeted by the socialist regime. Despite pressure and resource withdrawal from North Korea as attempts to stop the program’s development, the country continues to expand its nuclear program despite its initially already poor economy. Tensions between major powers, such as the U.S., Japan, and South Korea heightened throughout the last decade as North Korea continued to develop missiles and perform tests over restricted foreign territory. The country’s development and continuation of its program opposed and politically isolated itself from major powers such …show more content…
and the USSR’s occupation of Korea after the surrender of Japan initially intended to be temporary until Korea’s expected reunification. The Soviet Union’s blockage of the election for a democratically elected leader led to the separation of Korea and heightened tensions with the U.S. The USSR’s aid to the development of The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), or North Korea, led by Kim Il-Sung opposite the U.S.’s support of Syngman Rhee as the leader of the Republic of Korea (ROK), or South Korea, resulting in the countries’ divide and fight for reunification led by their own state. By 1956, North Korea began learning to develop its own nuclear weapons with help from the Soviet Union, and continued developing them even after the USSR’s decline. North Korea continues to develop its program despite intervention and pressure from the U.S. and other nations in Southeast Asia after its withdrawal from the Non-Proliferation Treaty in 2003. The treaty, which came into effect in 1970, aimed to control the spread of nuclear technology, including preventing the development and aiming towards the eventual disarmament of nuclear weapons. For the past decade, North Korea has spent billions of dollars on nuclear weapons despite its poverty and international …show more content…
and other nations. The Soviet Union’s close relations to North Korea in the Korean War caused the U.S. and Japan to oppose North Korea, causing a wider divide and gap towards reunification with South Korea. North Korea’s absorption and integration of Soviet interests further instigated American and Japanese opposition. The Soviet Union’s integration of North Korea as an ally served as a way for the USSR to build upon its relations with China through North Korea. By granting North Korea advanced military technology, The USSR attempted to bring closer relationships between them to eventually reach China. Since the 1960s, North Korea has been able to develop chemical weapons with the support of Soviet scientists. The USSR supplied North Korea with ballistic missiles, plutonium, and technology, allowing the jumpstart of the nuclear