Balance Of Power In North Korea

North Korea had prevailed to become the 8th atomic power in the world, since the construction of their second nuclear test in 2006. While then the United States and other international community countries have attempted to negotiate deals in order to denuclearize their nation. To this day North Korea has progressed technologically in advancing their development of nuclear ordnance. The sociological trend throughout the past decade in North Korea varies, but carries a common ideal. North Korea has inclined the need to become more powerful and create a security dilemma for its country. They have protected themselves through the threat of their nuclear influence and ambitions in taking out their ideal hegemony in the world, the United States.
Their importance as a state is not about their poverty or the lack of funds to feed their people, but more so the military power and threat it can uphold to other countries. North Korea pursues an offensive realism theory in wanting to seek maximum power within the military system becoming obsessed with nuclear power. In international relations there are perspectives that are used to analyze decisions nations make in the world. The realist perspective focuses on conflict and war.
North Korea acquires the tendency to use this perspective quite often. They’re realist side threatens war in order to gain power and control over other super powered countries. In a New York Times article from 2006, “North Korea announced that it had successfully conducted its second nuclear test, defying international warnings and drastically raising the stakes in a global effort to get the recalcitrant Communist state to give up its nuclear weapons program”(Onishi). The goal here is to decentralize the distribution of power, and generate an intimidation in order to receive more resources from countries that may feel threatened. Balance of power does not exist within North Korea’s philosophy, but instead it craves the possibility of obtaining more power. Because the United States contains military power in South Korea, North Korea is inclined to feel as if they are being controlled, when in reality they are only receiving the feedback from countries they had given out with the declaration of nuclear growth and testing. Although the United States is both a main target and threat, other countries also feel that North Korea is producing fear within Russia, Japan, China, and South
Korea. During a six-nation talk in 2006 Mr. Harrison alleged in Beijing when returning form the capital of North Korea, ‘It is a significant new development because it underlines that North Korea is enhancing its weapons capability,''(Reuter) from the North Korean realist perspective, this is the exact reaction that will satisfy a countries efforts in potentially owning more power and control over other nations. Within the realist perspective, prisoner’s dilemma is far more spiteful in comparison to the choices made in different viewpoints. In a realist stance during prisoner’s dilemma, there would be the example of North Korea claiming to denuclearize, where in return the United States would provide resources to North Korea’s impoverished country. In 2007 North Korea agreed to dismantle their nuclear program, but later during one of the six-party talks in among the Unites States and five other countries North Korea claimed, “We will never again take part in such talks and will not be bound by any agreement reached at the talks"(Reuters) This is in reference to how the United States was in agreement with North Korea in taking a step to remove them from nuclear work, and failed to follow through with their arrangement. This portrays realism in the fact that they chose to obtain power over settlement of an issue. In prisoner’s dilemma realist have the intention of ignorantly defecting the other country, in this case North Korea taking advantage of the resources given to them from the United States while still going against their agreement to denuclearize. Even though North Korea is not the highest standing nation in the world, in the realist perspective they show their power through manipulation in getting other countries to do what they would not otherwise do. As also exclaimed in an article during that instance, “North Korea plans to step up production of fuel for nuclear weapons unless the United States drops financial sanctions and returns to negotiations over its nuclear program,”(Sanger) said by an American scholar with ties to North Korean leaders. Just recently this year North Korea has began to proceed in making a third and more advanced nuclear test targeting the United States. This has posed a challenge for the Obama administration in taking away from their effort of restraining Iran’s nuclear program. This is a devious attempt from North Korea towards the United States in gaining the power they have very much wanted for a long time. Although North Korea has faced man collaboration problems, they have still been influenced greatly by the liberal perspective. During the six-nation talks, countries became very optimistic in influencing North Korea to take steps into denuclearizing and assisting in recuperating their economic crisis and their great poverty dilemmas. In late February in the year 2007 North Korea gave into agreeing to suspend all nuclear weapon test, the postponement of missile launches, uranium development, and surprisingly allowed for international inspectors to monitor and make sure that there were no further advancements or production of any nuclear reactors. North Korea agrees to this only because America agreed to ship food aid to the poor in the nation. “The United States had offered a detailed package of economic and energy assistance in exchange for North Korea's giving up nuclear weapons and technology,”(Cooper) claimed by a New York Times article. During this time North Korea was cooperative in being participative in their seventh six party talk, and other countries saw this as a big step in the right direction. The liberal perspective allows for countries to collaborate with each other effectively, and during this time, this perspective was successfully working for all of the nations. There was overall something everyone benefited in; North Korea benefiting in aid, and the other countries were at relief with no stress of any nuclear surprises coming anywhere near in their countries. Due to liberalism in this time, North Korea assured to release all of its nuclear information and have production come to a complete stop and end. The negative concept in this liberal perspective is how North Korea fails to follow through with its assurances of denuclearizing. North Korea has previously had no real negotiating authority, for they have always perceived in getting rewards before giving away any nuclear protection. The Japanese reference this in an article, “reported that North Korea wants an annual energy package of two million tons of fuel oil and two million kilowatts of electricity for taking the first steps in the agreement.”(Sanger) also to add in, “the North also wanted a short-term infusion of hundreds of thousands of tons of fuel oil almost immediately”(Sanger). This presumably was considered an award in order to begin shutting down Yongbyon, where nuclear equipment was suspiciously kept. North Korea does partake partially in a liberal perspective due to temporary compliance and the communication of a potential permanent agreement that shortly after became temporary. The other participating countries greatly showed to have a liberal perspective because of their intentions and willingness to cooperate with North Korea, rather than be realistic and terminate the country as possible and easy as it may be for big powerful nations. The norms, values and beliefs of North Korea greatly impact its decision in an identity perspective when relating with other countries. North Korea is a communist country, in addition to having a dictator isolate North Korea mainly in nuclear subjects. Kim Jong II had always had the aspiration to be a nuclear power in the world, and with enjoyment described America, “I see black smoke billowing somewhere in America,”(Choe Sang) the text that scrolls across the screen says in what are, in essence, subtitles of the man’s dream. “It appears that the headquarters of evil, which has had a habit of using force and unilateralism and committing wars of aggression, is going up in flames it itself has ignited”(Choe Sang). North Korea sees the United States specifically as an enemy, and uses the identity perspective to separate each other as completely opposite. Due to Kim Jong II recent death North Korea has still continued to represent and honor his wants in their country. Also since his son is now ruler, he carries on the understanding of the clear function of how North Korea was being ruled by his father, and still today seems to be similarly run. They have increased this separation by becoming allies with enemies of the United States. North Korea has had a history in working with Pakistan, Syria, and Iran. Those countries also have had interests in the production and advancement of nuclear weaponry. Through this entire nuclear program, North Korea has separated itself as a victim, in taking offense to every claim made against their nuclear program.
In indication of a Senior Director for Asia at the White House, Daniel Russell, “"North Korea will be the odd man out," adding, "They may choose to deepen their isolation and to further strengthen the international sanctions that are constraining them"(Choe Sang). North Korea knew how to function in avoiding the pressure from United States when being pressured to denuclearize. Jong’s negotiations were very successful in the way he directed his test discreetly, going against international agreements. The identity perspective in this nuclear program comes through Kim Jong II beliefs, and values of nuclear advancement and his reasoning to threaten other countries that he thought were not alike to his. The Identity perspective emphasizes collective beliefs and honest opinions. In example to those of Kim Jong II and the ideas that the countries have created for North Korea demonstrating whom they are. Construction of Identities is easily seen through this perspective; North Korea is identified as the malicious country, while the others are seen to be more cooperative and
assertive. The main image North Korea has set off is appropriately of a realist. North Korea stubbornly enforces the importance of military power even if they may have other issue within their state. Realism seems to be very important to them because they spend more money and effort in nuclear armament than in feeding their own people. North Korea lives within a realist perspective of having things the way they want and with full security and great power. North Korea has continually gone through the attempt of creating nuclear missiles. “In May 2012 an American based institute had claimed that North Korea had been resuming construction of a nuclear reactor, based off of satellite imagery on site,”(Choe Sang) from New York times. When this was leaked though the world The United States stopped aid and declared North Korea as a terrorist country in their list. North Korea of course did not care for anything besides its nuclear program, and the advancement of it. The advancement of nuclear production of North Korea would then cause a major power to them, and create fear amongst their countries; the goal of North Korea as a Realist perspective country.