The weapon tested was not entirely clear, but by description, experts seemed to rule out a ballistic missile-- meaning this act would not violate their self-inflicted temporary halt on testing. However, this still seemed to be a demonstration from Kim Jong un that his country is continuing to develop its weapons program. The state-run Korean Central News Agency explained that the weapon was fired at different targets, "could carry a 'powerful warhead' and increased the 'combat power' of the country's military," and the tests were overseen by Kim Jong Un.
(Kim Jong Un at a military airfield recently)
Although it is not a ballistic missile, Victor Cha (a North Korean expert at Georgetown University) claims that "'They are giving the US till the end of this year to make a deal, but in the meantime, they will bolster their capabilities, untethered from any agreement.'" It is true that North Korea agreed to stop testing nuclear weapons in 2017, but that did not include an agreement to halt the testing of weapons all together.
(Intercontinental ballistic missiles at a military parade in 2017)
Many experts see this as the way North Korea is showing its growing military potential, as well as their discontent with the lack of flexibility coming from the US. Kim Jong Un said he would be prepared to meet with Trump for a third summit only if the US altered its approach. He also made clear that he won't be patient forever, and gave the US until the end of this year to make a "bold decision."
Reaction: Obviously, North Korea is not known for its stability, both in their government as well as their reactions with the US. North Korea's potential possessions of nuclear weapons has brought attention to the world many times before. The fact that they are testing weapons could cause fear among many countries who could be their next target. As for the US, they gave to make a smart decision, without getting on North Korea's bad side, but I don't think they should completely give in either as that would grant too much power to North Korea.
Connection: Nuclear weapons was also a huge deal concerning the USSR and the US during the Cold War. Immense fear was brought to the US because of communism and the potential effects of the USSR's nuclear weapons, especially after the weapons were place in communist Cuba-- only around 100 miles from the tip of the US. Luckily, no physical damage was done, but the fear did not simply go away. Similarly, now a nation that has demonstrated authoritarian and communist actions, has possession of potentially dangerous weapons. The US is yet again stuck in a difficult position between relations with a country, who has the capability to be harmful, and the motive of fear that is presented with the force they could use.
Discussion Questions:
1. Do you think the US Govt. as well as US citizens should be fearful of North Korea and their possession of weapons?
2. How should the US respond? Should they really make a "bold decision"?
3. Should people be more concerned with the weapons, or the message they are trying to send?
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I think that the US government and citizens should not be concerned about North Korea and their possessions of weapons. If you were to think irrationally, if North Korea were to go to war with the U.S, U.S would win because of more land and resources. The U.S should respond with a firm fist and do they think is best for U.S and North Korea. So yes, U.S should make a "bold decision" and settle this situation correctly. Unlike "two months ago in Hanoi ended abruptly without any progress on efforts to dismantle North Korea’s nuclear program" I think people should not have to be concerned about the weapons or the message that North Korea are trying to send. Reason why is because creating a huge war would be catastrophic for both sides and will be a waste of time. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/north-korea-announces-test-oftactical-guided-weapon/2019/04/17/1f27d682-615f-11e9-9412-daf3d2e67c6d_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.c6dabf5c8b9a
ReplyDeleteI do not think we should worry that much. This situation is similar to that of the Cold War, and although the North Korean government is unstable, nobody wants a nuclear war. According to an article by BBC, "The North Korean government's main goal is survival - and direct conflict with the US would seriously jeopardize it." This suggests that North Koreas main motive for testing weapons is to create Mutually Assured Destruction so they can protect them from us. Therefore, do not think that the US needs to make a bold decision. This is all just a tactic North Korea is using to make them look stronger than they actually are. I do not think people need to be more concerned about weapons and the message Kim Jong Un is sending. It is all talk and no action.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-40882877
Relations with North Korea has always been a very tricky situation to maneuver through for the US. Kim Jong Un announcing another missile test is nothing new and doesn’t surprise many. I would not be worried about this new missile test but the US should constantly pay close attention to North Korea. North Korea’s main goal with these types of announcements is to strike fear into countries such as the US which is another reason we should be alert and not scared. Internally 42 percent of the North Korean population suffers from hunger and conditions are only seeming to get worse with more sanctions being put against North Korea. Hopefully this will force Kim Jong Un to corporate sooner rather than later. (https://borgenproject.org/tag/poverty-in-north-korea/) I believe that the US should have some response to this action from North Korea as if no one puts them in there place after repeated actions such as these they will only continue. The US should not take physical force but continue to use economic force such as stricter sanctions. I would personally be more concerned with the message that North Korea is trying to end as Kim Jong Un is showing his hatred and discontent with countries that oppose him, mainly the US.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that the U.S. citizens should be fearful of the North Korean missile tests, but I believe that they should be aware that there is a threat from across the pacific ocean. The United States has strong anti-missile defense systems in place, and other methods in order to keep U.S. citizens safe. Also, having fearful citizens will not help the situation, and everyone will be more on edge, which can be a bad thing. Also, North Korea is so far away that there will be sufficient time to track and eliminate missiles flying across the pacific ocean. I think that in order to achieve peace, a "Bold Move" will have to be made, most likely by both countries and leaders. This is somewhat similar to the situation in the middle east because in order for peace to occur, compromises must be made. Peace between the countries would be a good thing, but if a war occurred, the U.S. would have much better resources and weapons than North Korea. Hopefully this situation does not break out into war, because if missile defense systems fail, nuclear warheads like the ones in North Korea can do lots of damage in densely packed cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco. People should be more concerned with the message being sent by testing these missiles rather than the missiles themselves. It is relatively easy to eliminate the missiles compared to eliminating the people who are launching those missiles. I think that the U.S. should also show that they have power with their nuclear missiles, and that they are willing to do basically anything to protect the U.S. citizens. Since the message being sent by the North Koreans is that they have nuclear weapons and they are not afraid to use them, I believe that the U.S. government should also reinforce their citizens that there is little to no threat in regards to the North Korean missile program, and that their safety is a top priority.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/17/world/asia/north-korea-missile-weapons-test.html
I agree that having fearful citizens, especially a fearful govt., will only make matters worse. At this point what has happened, has happened, and all the US can do, as well as North Korea, is move forward and be intelligent with their upcoming decisions and actions. I also agree that some compromise is necessary from both sides, and it is also true that the US has better resources, as well as the ability to gain trust and alliances from other countries. I think at this point it is all about the decisions both countries make, and making it clear to US citizens that protecting them is the priority.
DeleteI do not feel that the US overall should be fearful of the missiles because, with all of the money we invest in our arms, we either have weapons far superior to theirs, or can quickly develop them. As much as North Korea is unreliable, they have not been violent towards large countries such as the US, so there shouldn't be too much concern because an attack on the US has many other complications for North Korea that they would avoid getting involved in. I think the US should tighten its alliances with China. Instead of playing bold 1 v 1 with North Korea, it would be much more strategic to focus their allies and make sure it is impossible for them to attack us without major international political unrest. Greater relations with China could be done through deals such as those involving their rebuilding of the silk road, especially because participation in this could also benefit the US in economic ways, such as ownership of shipping lanes. Aligning more tightly with a communist country could also solve problems with other communist and socialist countries globally because it could give them trust in a peaceful solution instead of a global uneasiness due to political differences. The US should be more concerned with Kim's message, because it makes him seem stronger than he has shown. A lot of observations have studied the weaponry of North Korea, when we truly do not understand the full capabilities of their allies and how that could affect the future of both the US and North Korea in the coming years. We truly do not know the full implications of North Korea's power, so we should approach deal making with caution, as much as we should try to reach peace with them and stabilize relations between eastern Asia and the US
ReplyDeleteI think the US government should definitely be prepared for anything by North Korea. They don't need to be afraid as the US has many counter measures to prevent nuclear situations, but anything can happen. North Korea is an unpredictable country as they even strip the freedoms of their own citizens. I believe the US should try to strike a firm deal, and if fair and rejected, they should impose stricter economic sanctions. Cut a trade routes or resources. People should definitely be concerned. Although the purpose of the tests are mainly fear tactics, anything could happen.
ReplyDeleteI do not think that the U.S. government and citizens should be afraid of North Korea and their weapons, but rather be afraid of the potential decisions the government might make. I think the government should focus on trying to limit the development of North Korea's weapons through diplomatic means. North Korea has basically sent a message saying that they are not afraid of the U.S. and if the government continues to wait it out instead of trying to reach an agreement, the situation could potentially become dangerous for the entire country or the world.
ReplyDeleteI feel that ignoring such an issue would not be such a good idea. Yes, North Korea on its own is unstable and does not have enough resources to win a war, but its allies, Russia and China, could certainly put up quite a fight. Aggressively moving forward would be the wrong idea, so the president shouldn't tweet on this matter at all, but perhaps simply being aware of the fact that North Korea has such destructive weapons could help, or at least be a start. However, I don't believe the citizens should lose their heads over the matter. The US does have strong defenses and means to keep the people safe, so we are in no immediate danger. But take care and monitoring North Korea couldn't hurt.
ReplyDeleteThe US government shouldn't be too worried about North Korea, because we have the strongest military in the world. This is not to say that the US should entirely ignore North Korea, because if left alone they could pose a major threat to the entire world. The US should strengthen bonds with countries around North Korea, so we do have a leg up if anything were to occur. To think that North Korea will never attack is naive. The US shouldn't go immediately into a fight with North Korea because of the consequences we will face during and after the fight.
ReplyDelete-Rumi
I feel that the US government should not be fearful of North Korea and their possession of weapons but should be mindful of their upcoming decisions with North Korea. Kim Jong Un announced yet another missile testing, which is no surprise, but this was done in order to instill fear in other countries. I think the the government should focus on limiting North Korea’s weapons because if both countries don't come to an agreement, it can potentially put both countries at risk, however the US has more access to resources and land if a war was occur. I believe that the US should take more action in setting economic sanctions and working towards compromise with North Korea. All in all, the US should inform their country that North Korea is not a threat at the moment.
ReplyDelete