Pyongyang and the Politics of East Asia: A Case of Gross Display of “Irrational Realism”

Kenneth Waltz and Morgenthau would have found contemporary international system very interesting for their confirmation and clear manifestation of their theoretical assumptions. Nuclear proliferation brings into perspective, the real state of the international system, the efficacy of international regimes and compliance in the face of anarchy and the machinations from the unseen hands of security dilemma.

Traditionally, countries which had been known to pursue rigorous nuclear programs had much economic clout. If North Korea’s economy is seen as an underdog by US secretaries of Defense, then we may not be far from giving credence to claims that North Korea may be receiving funding and intelligence from its “soviet colonial master” Russia.

The regime of young Kim has brought to the core of international relations a new form of realism. In my perspective, the North spearheaded by Kim has nearly fulfilled all the assumptions of realism which I call irrational Realism. Whiles countries are striving to improve the economies of their countries, North Korea is channeling resources to its nuclear program and impoverishing its citizens. I cannot really fathom the rationale behind the Kim’s aggressive nuclear program. Since 2012, never had a month passed without the world being kept awake with news about nuclear weapons by North Korea’s State Media.

The current rhetoric has come to rests on the assumption of which state has much nuclear power but little concern has been directed towards the number of fatalities and chemical dangers that innocent citizens would be exposed to if either of these states were to strike. The future is unpredictable and we never know the kind of danger the world would be exposed to, if recent “21st Century terrorists” get access to classified nuclear intelligence. North Korea has been no joke since the leadership of Kim Jong-un in 2012.

The target of his foreign policies seems to be very opaque. While it tries to deter the US from invading its soils, the South has not been at peace from constant accusations of underhand dealings with the CIA to overthrow his regime. The mass production of these weapons poses great threats to not only its perceived adversary; the US, Japan and South Korea, but the entire world.

The state of affairs in North Korea breaches Article 6 of the UN charter. North Korea and U.S relations have remained hostile since the Korean War. These countries continue to threaten each other with their nuclear capabilities. However, the relations between the two countries in recent times keeps escalating. There have been exchanges of words between the leaders of both countries which continue to increase the possibility of a nuclear war between the two countries.

This ongoing threat has engendered speculations of a possible nuclear war between them. The nuclear capabilities of North Korea continue to pose a threat to South Korea, Japan and US. They carried out two test launches of Intercontinental Ballistic Missile in June. Trump warned that North Korea ‘’would be met with fire and furry like the world has never seen’’ if they continue to do so. Ignoring Trump’s warning, North Korea threatened to carry out a test of nuclear weapon on Guam, ‘’ the tip of the spear of US defense’’ which is a vital US military base. Trump responded again to North Korea’s threat on Guam saying, ‘’military solutions are now fully in place, locked and loaded, should North Korea act unwisely’’. The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) imposed sanctions on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) on their threat to turn Guam into an ‘’unimaginable sea of fire’’.

Could sanctions work?
Numerous sanctions have been imposed on North Korea by the UNSC since 2006 yet North Korea seem not to be remorseful about their actions. The UNSC passed Resolution 1718 in 2006 which required the DPRK to stop the test of nuclear weapons and also restricted luxury and military exports such as combat aircraft, missiles, armaments, and nuclear technology.

This resolution imposed a set of commercial and economic sanctions on the DPRK after their nuclear test on October 9, 2006. This sanction required member states to inspect Cargos entering North Korea. After the resolution, Dak Gil Yan, a representative of North Korea in the UN at the time said, ‘’ If US further pressure North Korea, we will continue taking nuclear tests and other physical measures’’. On May 25, 2009. North Korea conducted a second nuclear test as said by their UN emissary in 2006. This test led to the adoption of Resolution 1874, another sanction by the UNSC in June 2009.

This resolution imposed further commercial sanctions on North Korea. In response to the UNSC reaction, the DPRK considered any further sanctions as an ‘’act of war declaration’’. As was stated in the Korean Central News Agency that any new sanctions and blockade on North Korea would be considered as an ‘’act of war that would be met with a decisive military response’’. It further accused US and Japan of adding their own sanctions to the 1874 resolution. On December 12, 2012. North Korea launched a sky-rocket satellite.

The UNSC was compelled to adopt resolution 2087 in January 2013. The UNSC imposed additional sanctions on North Korea and further strengthened resolutions 1718 and 1874. The UN further urged several countries to seize and destroy military and research cargos going to North Korea. North Korea conducted a third nuclear underground test in 2013 as the state’s media announced. This led to the imposition of Resolution 2094 on March 7, 2013 by the UNSC on the DPRK. The idea behind this imposition was to keep North Korea out of the international financial system as they imposed sanctions on money transfers of North Korea. This resolution also beseeched other states to heed to the resolution and apply the sanctions.

However, on January 2016 and February 2016, North Korea conducted a fourth nuclear test and launched a long-range missile respectively. The UNSC therefore adopted Resolution 2270 on March 2, 2016. This resolution strengthened its sanctions on North Korea by banning the exports of titanium, gold, metals, coal, iron and other minerals. Members of the international community also imposed independent sanctions such as withdrawal from trade agreements with North Korea. Two days after the adoption of the resolution, North Korea’s Minister of Foreign Affairs came out with a replied statement, ‘’North Korea flatly rejects the UNSC resolution 2270 and will take countermeasures’’.

The supreme leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-un also emphatically opposed this resolution and went ahead to threaten that the military and nuclear weapons of North Korea are set for national defense. North Korea continued to conduct another nuclear test followed by the UNSC Resolution 2321 on November 2016.

This sanction banned the exports of silver, zinc and copper. China, an ally also banned the imports of coal. Nevertheless, North Korea continued to develop nuclear weapons and conducted numerable nuclear tests. North Korea have carried out close to 15 nuclear tests including the Intercontinental ballistic missile and further threatened to deliver a nuclear warhead. This compelled the UNSC to adopt resolution 2371 in August 2017.

This resolution imposed sanctions on the export of lead, coal, iron and seafood. Restrictions are also being imposed on the Foreign Trade Banks of North Korea. Several states such as Japan, China, US and the European Union also increased individual sanctions on North Korea. The UNSC have imposed strict sanctions on North Korea in the aftermath of their sixth and the largest nuclear test.

This sanction aims to ban textile exports, ban crude oil export to North Korea, place new restrictions on North Korean government organizations, ban countries from hiring North Korean new workers, issue new measures to thwart North Korea’s maritime smuggling, as well as limit the export of fuel and gasoline to North Korea. This new sanction will cost a loss of $1.3 billion to Pyongyang’s revenue which will lead to an abysmal decline in North Korea’s economy. China and Russia are not much in favor of the recent sanction on North Korea as they argue that strict sanctions could compel the nation to resort to aggressive means through the use of their nuclear weapons. All these sanctions though have worked but have not been able to deter North Korea from their threats.

The US ambassador to the United Nations told CNN that the UN Security Council has run out of options and that the US may turn to the pentagon. This means the US may consider taking aggressive measures to stop North Korea. If this happens, it is more likely that North Korea will also strike back which may lead to a nuclear war between the two countries. Though North Korea is now well equipped in arsenal in terms of military and nuclear weapons but should not think of engaging in a nuclear war with the global superpowers else the future will be bleak.

North Korea have been condemned without exception for its latest test of hydrogen bomb on September 3, 2017. North Korea will then become a ‘’persona non-grata’’ in the International community as no nation seem to support them in recent times. Now China and Russia have consistently told Kim Jong-un that their country would be on its own if they launch any attack.

This warning from China and Russia also shows that North Korea will be in isolation should they strike. The US and North Korea should both cooperate in a harmonious manner to foster peace rather than war. It is high time international relations scholarship turn an intellectual eye to solving the world’s problems rather than the incessant espousing of theories that only explains the world but offer little solutions to it.

Time is overdue for the UN to be subjected to critical evaluation on its prime role of curtailing some of these threats of global peace. I am not preaching invasion of North Korea by the United Nations but employing all the soft and hard methods and peace building arsenals at its disposal to bring this situation under control is a prerequisite.

Baah Acheamfour Justice
Jbaah4417@gmail.com

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