The Failure Of North Korea-US Relations

The northern border is known as the DMZ (demilitarized zone) it is the most heavily armed border in the world. At 2.5 miles wide and 150-miles long the heavily mined and guarded area has served as a buffer zone since the cease fire in 1953.(3) The united States helps to guard the DMZ and protect the ROK with approximately 30,000 troops and an arsenal of military equipment. The country of South Korea is unable to maintain their own Nuclear weapons and relies on the US Militaries nuclear weapons program to match North Koreas Nuclear weapons program. Although the ROK army is well equipped and well trained it lacks the sheer numbers and nuclear capabilities to match North Korea. Therefore the ROK relies heavily on the United States military assistance. However with the ROK’s consistent progression and strong economy it’s only a matter of time before the ROK will no longer need the help of the USA. (4)

North Korea, formally known as the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a relic of the Cold War and the world’s last remaining totalitarian Stalinist dictatorship. Arguably the most secretive state in the world, North Korea poses a unique set of challenges to the world, especially to its democratic and capitalist neighbor, South Korea, formally known as the Republic of Korea (ROK). As one of the last remnants of the Cold War era, North Korea remains an anomaly of the international system due to its unpredictable nature and disregard for international norms. With the recent bombardment of the South Korean Island of Yeongpyong and the sinking of the warship Cheonan, tensions between the two Koreas are at the lowest point since

The U.S. helped to divide the Korean peninsula at the end of World War II, and then waged war against North Korea in the 1950s. Although the U.S. signed a peace agreement rather than a peace treaty with North Korea after the war, its policy toward the country changed. Instead of trying to overthrow the North Korea government, the U.S. government adopted a policy of containing communism. During the 1980’s, associations between North Korea and the U.S. start to take on a new diplomatic form. North Korea’s nuclear weapons program had become a pressing international issue

The Second option when dealing with this threat would organizing talks among many of the world powers and countries within East Asia in order to develop a bilateral solution to dealing with Korea. At this time it is evident the North Korea’s biggest ally,China has been distancing themselves either through heavy sanctions giving the U.S a window of opportunity where China may use its influence to force change in North Korea, if not to at least working towards other nations to form a solution.This solution lends to many problematic outcomes with the first being a non-guarantee in terms of reaching an agreement which looking at previous talks would be highly probable causing immense setbacks. Additionally agreeing to bilateral talks may put the United States in a position where heavy comprise may be necessary creating an agreement that does not fulfill our agenda to the fullest and may create an imagine where the U.S is seen as a subordinate.

Since its creation after the Korean War in 1950, North Korea, also known as the Democratic People Republic of Korea (DPRK), has caused many problems for the United States. North Korea has, for instance, broken treaties and even gone so far as to threaten the use of nuclear weapons. Naturally, different presidents have dealt with North Korea in different ways. Take Eisenhower for example, he actually threatened the use of nuclear weapons against North Korea in 1953 (obviously before North Korea had nuclear capabilities). Many presidents ignored North Korea all together, and some tried to ignore the country, but circumstances did not allow

There have been many nuclear missile tests from the North Koreans in the past year. North Korea’s leader, Kim Jung-un has also verbally threatened the US many times using his country’s nuclear missiles’ tests as a scare tactic. Their aggressive nature has yet to move the US leaders in an aggressive state as well until the most recent President, Donald J. Trump, came into office. North Korea still uses propaganda to brainwash their citizens into hating the Americans. Tensions still rise day by day and the North Koreans still want to take over South Korea and unite Korea as a communist

The tensions between the US and DPRK have reached a point that the only viable outcomes are either War or Regime change in the DPRK. The policy adopted by the DPRK of nuclear blackmail and bombastic military threats leave little option for anything more. Under Kim Jong-un the DPRK has become emboldened. The DPRK has leveraged its ability to survive sanctions at the expense of its citizen to only in turn use it as a catalyst to secure international aid. There is very little options given a state that behaves as recklessly as the DPRK given its track record throughout

Since the end of the Korean war to present day, the US has attempted to denuclearize North Korea through the use of negotiation, diplomacy, and sanctions.

That December, North Korea announced the reactivation of its nuclear reactors at Yongbyon and followed by kicking IAEA inspectors out of the country. By January 2003, with the United States now under the George W. Bush administration, North Korea had withdrawn from the Non-Proliferation Treaty (CNN Library). Fast forward to the current events happening under the United States, Trump administration. The question remains, what does the world do about the North Korean defiance in regards to denuclearization. The mere fact that North Korea has defied four consecutive American presidents shows little promise for finding a diplomatic solution to their ongoing threat of possessing and possibly using nuclear weapons.

In dealing with North Korea, there are no good options. Pyongyang has been working decisively towards building a nuclear arsenal for years now. Washington, DC has been working just as decisively towards preventing this nuclear arsenal from piling for just as many years, trying to control North Korea by issuing threats (of conducting future military exercises and preparing future economic sanctions) and side-eyeing China. Rinse and repeat. American policy towards North Korea can be summed up nicely with one of President Donald Trump’s many menacing Tweets about the country. This was sent out on April 11, 2017: “North Korea is looking for trouble. If China decides to help, that would be great. If not, we will solve the problem without them! U.S.A.”

My first suggestion as a representative of the American government would be for the US to push for diplomacy. I believe that negotiations have not been fully exhausted yet and that it is the only hope for easing tensions between both countries without any unnecessary casualties. Instead of responding recklessly to North Korea's nuclear weapons tests with military exercises and more sanctions, the US should concentrate on keeping strong alliances with Japan and South Korea. In addition to that, the US should continue to work closely with its other allies to ramp up the pressure on NK, while it attempts to hold talks with NK. Talks with NK should happen regardless of their actions to lower tensions. Although there will be many topic on the agenda once NK agrees to the talks, the US will have to remain firm and insist for the nuclear weapons program to be at the top of the agenda.

As a military invasion would be impossible because of what is known as Mutual Assured Destruction. Ever since nuclear weapons were invented any nation that has obtained them has never gone to war with another country that also has weapons of mass destruction. Therefore, the only solution to the denuclearization of North Korea would be a regime change. For North Korea is the most sanctioned country in the world and has remained defiant of denuclearization. Any more sanctions (i.e. Obama’s policy) is useless as they will never give into the world's demands. Consequently, a regime change could occur from the military or a revolution from the peasants. This could be achieved by using stealth bombers to drop propaganda pamphlets to the North Korean Populous to incite a revolution. Once a Civil War or Coup de ta is instigated then have the U.S. provide weapons to the opposing side of the current regime. Even if the Civil War or Coup De ta fails the war could last several years. As a result, it should destabilize the nation and militarily weaken it, which would reduce its nuclear arsenal in the

Moreover, DPRK’s foreign policy since the 1970s focused on forceful unification of Korean Peninsula and spreading communist revolution in the South. It has to be remembered that an official doctrine till the end of the 1970s ideologically and practically postulated communization of the south on the basis of military intervention . Since that time North Korea placed its spies in the East Asia and started sheltering revolutionists and terrorists from all over the world, among others nine members of radical left-wing group called the Japanese Fraction of the Red Army who skyjacked a Japanese airplane to Pyongyang in March 1970 . Furthermore, North Korea has been for many years developing its nuclear program and numerously threatening to use it what obviously attracts attention of the whole world .

North Korea is located in southeastern Asia on the northern part of the Korean peninsula. It is known worldwide as having an oppressive regime. The country is controlled by the ruling family and punishments are severe. Its history has had a clear effect upon the nation. Other nations have tried, to no avail, to learn what goes on in North Korea and how to handle the North Korean problem. However, these other countries have been going about the process in the wrong manner. The road to solving the North Korean problem needs to be solidly paved before it can be trod upon. Trying to sprint down a road that is full of potholes and obstacles will only exacerbate the problem at hand. Bluntly put, there needs to be preparations in place for the

     I think there are many things that the United States has to do in order to resolve the problems that are occurring and to prevent more problems from happening in the future. The first thing that I think the United States should do is to treat them as nicely as possible, even if it means going against what we believe and letting them get away with bad behavior. In the long run it might be a bad thing to do because it could influence other nations to think that they can walk over us and take advantage of us. However, I think it would be the correct thing to do right now because the last thing anyone wants is a nation that is angry with you that holds nuclear weapons. If, however, North Korea refuses to accept our proposal for negotiations and does not agree with anything that we have to offer, I think the only other option is to attack them with