North Korean Nuclear Program

Nuclear or Atomic bombs represent the greatest destructive weaponry possessed by humanity in our short millennia on this planet. They possess the capacity for ending hundreds of thousands of lives and are currently the “gravest” threat to global peace according to the United Nations. For years, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, or North Korea as it is commonly known, has been rushing towards the creation of a nuclear bomb. The only previous detonations of a nuclear bomb on a civilian population were the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of World War II, and the DPRK’s eagerness to produce one, combined with their flagrant threats against other nations of the world have caused much concern in recent years. Most recently, and most prevalent was their detonation of a 10 kiloton nuclear detonation in September of 2016. In November, the UN passed a resolution enacting the most severe sanctions yet against the country, cutting off virtually all economic support from other nations, along with halting the purchase of North Korean exports, primarily targeting their coal industry. However, in the past North Korea has not proved very concerned with actions taken by the UN or any other multinational organizations of diplomacy. They have completely disregarded the Treaty on Non-Proliferation, which strictly prohibits any nations from creating any nuclear weapons that do not already exist. After initial signs that they were ignoring the treaty, the UN repeatedly condemned North Korea’s actions and instituted minor sanctions, but no steps taken by the UN have even slowed the efforts of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to have a nuclear weapon for themselves.