North Korea nuclear crisis is the biggest threat to the planet, it could push the world towards indefinite war for years on the Korean peninsula and beyond, and as a result, millions of lives would be on risk. The level of risk has sharply increased because North Korea is directly on a collision course with United States, it is confronting with its client states South Korea and Japan, and it is threatening with the nuclear attack on USA mainland. North Korea is claiming to have an intermediate and long range of missile which can attack any part of the world and is capable of reaching US mainland, and it is mysterious to know from where it gets the sophisticated technology and funds. The Korean nuclear program is decades old, but the international community failed to convince them to stop the madness, and that’s a huge setback for UN or independent organ for nuclear non-proliferation. If North Korea succeeds to achieve the nuclear arsenals then it would inspire more countries for their ambition to become the nuclear power, it would be the frustrating moment for those countries which has destroyed their nuclear program to supporting nuclear disarmament.
The primary factors which drive a nation to achieve nuclear weapons are the disparity in conventional military power, deterrence against the aggression of the stronger arch-rival, security to the kingdom/ dictatorial states and presenting their nation superior in the region. Many nations believe that it guarantees the security of the nation, economic stability & prosperity, and helps to gain respect and prestige in the international community. Likewise, the president of North Korea wants to secure his dictatorship, he believes that the nuclear weapons will help him long due unification of Korean peninsula, and can dictate his policy in the region and in the international forum. The reason for the insecurity in the Korean peninsula is the unification of the North and south, both North Korea and South Korea want to rule it under its flag. The ambition of Korean president has forced the Korean people to live in the atmosphere of uncertainty and chaos, and he has forced his own country to go under prolong the economic crisis and profound famine. All the economic and social indicators are at an extreme low, the economic and political sanctions have paralyzed the country and its infrastructure, and it has been experiencing the huge shortage of food and medicine. United Nations has asked every member nations to avoid making fresh trade relations or cut all kind of existing trade, only humanitarian supplies are allowed. North Korea is constantly violating the international laws and human rights, it has been prosecuting all those who voiced against the regime, and the political opponents are brutally getting repressed. It had exploded first nuclear test in 2006 and then successively UN Security Council condemned every test thereafter and has been continuously urging it to stop the nuclear program, but North Korea is denying the request. This has disappointed its neighbor China and Russia with which they have the good relation, being the permanent member of the Security Council it is their responsibility to make its neighbor follow international laws.
Thousands of US military are stationed in South Korea, it has established the huge military base which provides training and access to the advanced and sophisticated military equipment. This helped South Korea to get strategic depth over North. The disparity in the conventional warfare with South Korea has forced it to search for the alternatives which are capable of deterring the aggression of South Korea including the United States and Japan, and they believed nuclear weapons can serve their purpose. The role of China and Pakistan are mysterious, some believe that they have helped them to achieve the infrastructure and technology, one of the former presidents of Pakistan and nuclear scientist had openly accepted that they helped them for it. Many believe that the nuclear crisis could have been avoided if China and Russia were little more sensitive to the issue, China is the major trade partner of North Korea, most of the export of it goes to China and most of the import is also come from China, but they waited for the worst. All kind of sanction by United Nations, United States, European Union and Japan have been imposed on it, if all the nations in the region could have co-operated then North Korea could be on the table for peace talks, but there are some nations which are secretly helping it and using it as a tool to earn the strategic mileage over United States and allies.
United States has been warning North Korea and affirms that it is considering every option including military intervention. The peaceful resolution of Korean crisis is in the interest of the world, all stakeholders must start a talk without any condition, and otherwise, it could experience another nuclear adventure in the region which would be apocalyptic. There are two scenarios if the peaceful nuclear disarmament fails, North Korea will achieve the nuclear might or the United States and South Korea will declare war against the North, both of them will have unbearable repercussions. If North Korea manages to succeed then it will inspire more countries for nuclear proliferation to become the nuclear state, Iran, Syria, Turkey, South Africa, Vietnam and South American nations will follow the same path, it will result into the havoc and unprecedented nuclear arms race around the world. And if war happens it will invite destruction and loss of humanity, South Korea, Japan and United States have already aligned to counter North aggression, China and Russia being the neighbor will be forced to enter into the conflict, which will fuel the conflict to spread almost whole world.
The episode of North Korea is another example of trust deficit, huge disagreement and ignorance of UN Security Council permanent members, they were non-serious on the issue from the beginning, and as a result, they have pushed the world towards major possible nuclear conflict. The consequences will be irreversible, the race for the proliferation will take a new shape, the international law will be disregarded, and the credibility of United Nations will touch the new low. The peaceful disarmament is the only solution, the world can neither afford a nuclear state North Korea nor a war.
