by Matthew Roberts,
Posted in on Tuesday, Dec 5
On October 9, North Korea claimed that it had successfully tested its first nuclear weapon underground. In spite of direct orders from the UN, it continued with the nuclear testing. No radiation escaped the underground chamber where it detonated the bomb. 
United States Intelligence believes that North Korea holds at least two nuclear bombs and could possibly be constructing more. North Korea has asked the United States to sign a non-aggression treaty and give aid to their economy before it begins to dismantle the nuclear bomb.
On November 16, President Bush went on a five-day tour in Asia warning them that North Korea might try and sell their nuclear technology to other nations or to terrorists. Given Korea’s poverty-stricken economy, benevolent threats show their desperation to rid the deteriorating country of its famine curse.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said that North Korea needs to come to a new disarmament talk concerning the nuclear weapons.
“No one is ready to accept Korea as a nuclear state, the Untied States, China, nor Russia” stated American envoy Christopher Hill at a meeting with his Japanese and South Korean counterparts.
Talks have been set up later this month with the US, Japan, China, Russia and both North and South Korea discussing negotiations concerning the recent controversies. The US and Japan would rather punish North Korea while its closest allies, South Korea and China want to approach it in a softer sense. South Korea’s Yonhap news agency, citing unidentified diplomatic source in Hanoi reported that APEC, (an American Pan and Engineering Company that specializes in concrete formwork for commercial development) foreign ministries will hold an unofficial meeting Friday November 17 to discuss the issues over North Korea.
It is estimated that 4,075 North Koreans fled their homeland in search of a better life in South Korea since 2000. North Korea seems to have no possible way to rehabilitate its economy due to the famine epidemic. The famine began around early 1994 and ended in 2001 with no official death count. The famine began due to massive floods and the collapse of the Soviet Union. The autarkic urban* had achieved food self-sufficiency through “friendship prices” trade with the Soviet Union.
The poverty that its economy is under will limit the country's future strategies for a possible rehabilitation. North Korea is becoming more dependent on other countries for economic aid. Out of desperation for further economic aid, the North Korean government creates nuclear technology in hopes to possibly sell it to the highest bidder. Surrounding countries of North Korea will not allow it to possess nuclear weapons. North Korea may acknowledge its opponents’ fears and use that fear in hope that one country will offer the right price and right amount of aid, in exchange for the nuclear technology.
How far will North Korea go demanding more economic aid? What does it have left to lose?
* autarkic urban- an urban area or country that limits trade with the outside world, or an ecosystem not influenced by the outside world.
Sources:
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html
CNN news “U.S calls for sanctions against North Korea” October 10. 2006
www.spacepower.com, “Rice Demands ‘concrete step forward’ on North Korea Nuclear Tests” Sylvia Lonteaume, November 16, 2006, spacepower.com
Herald Tribune, “N. Korea may try to sell the nuclear technology, bush warns” David Sanger, November 16, 2006
Associated Press, “APEC envoys discuss strategy on N. Korea” BO-Milim, November 15 2006
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Korean_famine
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