Global insecurity? A critical analysis of the utility and significance of the North Korea Nuclear program in the twenty first century

Abstract

Chapter 1 sets the stage for the investigation of the global insecurity problem brought about by the development of nuclear weapons. Nuclear weapons represent the ultimate defense of the nation, a deterrent against any and all potential adversaries. The chapter though it is just an introduction to the study, it however attempted to proffer the research proposal whose hypothesis credits nuclear weapons as being a necessary tool for deterrence despite their unprecedented destructiveness as exemplified by North Korea. Chapter 2 traces back to the origins of the separation of South and North Korea which stems from the 1945 Allied victory in World War 11. After World War 11 the United States and its allies competed with the USSR and its allies for political and economic dominance around the world known as the Cold War. The Cold War influence also extended to Korea with the United States occupying the South and USSR the North. The chapter therefore attempted to investigate the debate on the Cold War rivalry particularly the tensions between North and South Korea and how the superpowers are involved in the conflict. Chapter 3 dealt with the origins and objectives of the Nuclear Proliferation Treaty which was opened for signature in July 1968 and signed on that date by the United States, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union and 59 other countries. The chapter investigated the successes and challenges faced by the non proliferation regime and the impact of the Non Proliferation Treaty in the 21st Century. Chapter 4 scrutinized the external environment or rather the reaction of the international community towards North Korea‘s nuclear weapon development program. North Korea‘s nuclear program has been a source of great concern for the international community. There have been multiple rounds of international negotiations, sanctions and diplomatic efforts from different nations all in a bid to resolve the North Korean situation as elaborated in the rest of the chapter. Chapter 5 concluded the study. It summarized the discussions made in Chapters 1 to 4. Since it is now a known fact that North Korea is developing nuclear weapons openly and this has however dealt a fatal blow to the Nuclear Proliferation Treaty and for some scholars they argue that this has brought an end to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation regime because most states like Iran are following North Korea‘s example. Most states in the 21st Century are now embracing nuclear iv weapons for their own security. For years the United States and the international community have however tried to negotiate an end to North Korea‘s nuclear and missile developments and its export of ballistic missile technology. Those efforts have been replete with periods of crisis, stalemate and tentative progress towards denuclearization. Nuclear weapons, for all their horror brought to an end 50 years of worldwide wars. Even after the end of the Cold War nuclear weapons are still a necessary tool for deterrence as exemplified by North Korea in the study.