Month: May 2016 Page 2 of 3

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Although the Cold War has been over with for decades one of its proxy conflicts persists.  The Korean Peninsula today remains divided between a democratic, capitalist South Korea and a totalitarian, communist North Korea, with both sides technically still at war since an armistice ended the Korean War from 1950-1953.  The United States still bases more than 30,000 troops in South Korea, anticipating a North Korean attack due to threats made by current and past leaders, notably King Jong-un and his father Kim Jong-il.  What makes North Korea’s bellicose rhetoric concerning is that it has enhanced its nuclear capabilities since the 1990s.  The international community has worked to punish the North for this activity, but the regime has persisted and analysts worry that its missile technology is steadily improving, with some worrying that one day the North might have the ability to target Hawaii, Alaska, or the West Coast of the United States.  Nevertheless, are worries about North Korea, a regime that struggles to feed its own people, justified?  It is not uncommon for extempers to make such calculations in rounds concerning East Asia or foreign policy and that is what this topic brief will attempt to help with.

This topic brief will provide some vocabulary that extempers should know when discussing the North Korean nuclear threat, highlight the reasons that the international community has struggled to deal with North Korea, and analyze why North Korea is a growing threat to international security.

Readers are also encouraged to use the links below and in the related R&D to bolster their files about this topic.

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