WMD
The realities of North Korea’s WMD ambitions are complex but so are the technological developments that make its programs possible. We will help our readers understand both.
Book Review: “No Exit”
No Exit: North Korea, Nuclear Weapons and International Security By Jonathan D. Pollack. London: The International Institute for Strategic Studies, 2011. 248 pp. Jonathan Pollack’s No Exit: North Korea, Nuclear Weapons and International Security is a welcomed addition to the ever-expanding, if increasingly cluttered, field of work on the [...]
North Korea’s Shrinking Role in the Global Missile Market
News media descriptions of North Korea’s commercial activities often claim that Pyongyang sells large numbers of ballistic missiles abroad. Some press reports even assert that North Korea brings in hundreds of millions of dollars, if not more, on Scud, Nodong, or Musudan missile sales in any given year. These stories are, in the best case, [...]
US Nuclear Weapons to South Korea?
Support for the US-ROK alliance has never seemed stronger in South Korea. Our two countries appear to be in lock step when it comes to dealing with the North and our two presidents seem to genuinely like and respect one another, thus permitting an unprecedented level of trust and cooperation. That’s the good news. The bad news is that a [...]
North Korea’s Nuclear Enrichment: Capabilities and Consequences
Background North Korea’s pursuit of uranium enrichment should not, and has not, come as a surprise. The pre-eminence of Juche, the political thesis of Kim Il Sung, stresses independence from great powers, a strong military posture, and reliance on national resources. Faced with an impoverished economy, political isolation from the world, and [...]
Libya, North Korea, and the International Nonproliferation Regime
It is clear that the effects of what is happening in Libya will not stay confined to North Africa. Instead, the “Libyan problem” will undoubtedly have a long-term impact on many aspects of international affairs. “38 North” has discussed the potential impact of Libya’s experience on North Korea’s nuclear ambitions in an insightful [...]
Using the Seoul Nuclear Security Summit to Denuclearize the DPRK: A Dialogue on Radiological Source Security
On April 12-13, 2010 the United States convened the first Nuclear Security Summit (NSS) in Washington, DC, including 47 nations and three international organizations. The purpose was to strengthen efforts to prevent nuclear terrorism by improving the security of all nuclear materials around the globe. At the end of this event, it was announced [...]
