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North Korea
Has recently acquired nuclear weapons…
…and con4nues to make threats of war
Three Genera)ons of Kims
Kim Il-‐Sung 1948-‐1994 Kim Jong-‐Il 1994-‐2011 Kim Jong-‐Un 2011-‐?
The Korean Peninsula at Night
Pyongyang, North Korea
• Built to impress • False store fronts • Airports and train sta)ons have )ckers, but no one is coming or going.
• Communist statues and propaganda
• 2 t.v. channels spewing propaganda
North Korean Street
Ryugyong Hotel
Ryugyong Hotel Now
Pyongyang Airport
Missile Threat
Recent Headlines
• North Korea's young leader urged front-‐line troops to be on "maximum alert" for a poten)al war as a state-‐run newspaper said Pyongyang had carried out a threat to cancel the 1953 armis)ce that ended the Korean War. -‐Fox news
Recent Headlines
• North Korea's military warned Monday of imminent "special ac)ons" that would reduce South Korea's conserva)ve government to ashes within minutes -‐Fox News
Recent News
• North Korea threatens South Korea and the United States nearly everyday. Now they are threatening a preemp)ve strike with nuclear missiles. -‐New York Times
• North Korea vows nuclear aZack on U.S., saying Washington will be ‘engulfed in a sea of fire.’
-‐Fox News
It is believed that :
• By 1990, NK produced 1 – 2 weapons worth of nuclear material. ie. Plutonium
• 5 – 6 bombs worth of plutonium between 1994 – 2003
• 2004-‐2009 one per year Where did this stuff go?
• Some were tested. What about the rest?
• 12-‐27 Nuclear Weapons
Warheads Possessed by Na)on
And the newest member of the nuclear club is... North Korea !!!!
There are 2 likely Solu)ons to this Problem
1. Military Ac)on
2. Diploma)c Coopera)on
Unifica)on Issue
In 50 years North Korea will not exist the way it does now.
• The Korean Peninsula has never been free from the strong influence of China, Russia, Japan, and the United States (the 4 strong powers).
• Need for very delicate sophis)cated diplomacy
• North and South Korea will not be able to solve this complicated problem without the coopera)on and support of those na)ons.
China’s Stance on Reunifica)on
• Does not want reunifica)on • Does not want to border a strong ally of their enemy, the United States.
• Is concerned about Korean refugees of war flooding into China.
• ***China just placed economic sanc)ons on North Korea for the 1st )me as a result of their 3rd nuclear weapons test.
Russia’s Stance on Reunifica)on
• Has an economic reason to support reunifica)on
• Wants to unite Siberia
• Needs resources such as railroad and gas lines to connect Russia from the Korean Peninsula.
What are the Chances?
• It is unlikely that North Korea will launch a nuclear aZack.
• But many people would pay a lot of money for these weapons. Like, Al Qaeda
• Further nuclear progress will cause further economic sanc)ons causing North Korea’s economy to spiral out of control.
Current Issues in North Korea
• Failed state – government focuses on false military prowess in order to distract from failed agriculture and industry
• Human Rights abuses
• Starva)on Deprava)on – 200,000 – 2,000,000 died of famine in the 1990s.
• Poli)cal Gulags – opponents jailed
