US- North korea Nuclear Issue

Submitted by : Submitted to:

Maryam mehmood Miss Asama Rashid
156_FSS/MAIR/F17

Department of Political Science & International Relations

International Islamic University Islamabad
Fall 2019
 List of Content

 Introduction

 Problem Statement

 Research Questions

 Research Methodolology

 Main Argument

 Theoretical Framework

 Empirical Analysis

 Historical Background

 Reasons of north korea nuclear program development:

 US Sanctions
 North korea abandon its nuclear program
 . Criteria to abandon its nuclear program
 US- North korea Summit:

 Conclusion
Introduction:

North Korea has active and increasingly sophisticated nuclear weapons and ballistic missile
programs, and is believed to possess chemical and biological weapons capabilities. The
internation community has been trying to put an end north korea nuclear program in order to
impose sanctions on it to stop north korea nuclear program.This chronology of the North Korean
nuclear program has its roots in the 1950s and begins in 1989 with the end of the Cold War and
the collapse of the Soviet Union, the main economic ally of North Korea. imposes mandatory
sanctions for entities involved in North Korea's mineral or metal trades, which comprise a large
part of North Korea's foreign exports. North Korea Today Sanctions against North Korea,
officially known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, have been imposed by a number
of countries and international bodies. The current sanctions are largely concerned with North
Korea's nuclear weapons program and were imposed after its first nuclear test in 2006 or years,
the United States and the international community have tried to negotiate an end to North
Korea’s nuclear and missile development and its export of ballistic missile technology. Those
efforts have been replete with periods of crisis, stalemate, and tentative progress towards
denuclearization, and North Korea has long been a key challenge for the global nuclear
nonproliferation regime.The United States has pursued a variety of policy responses to the
proliferation challenges posed by North Korea, including military cooperation with U.S. allies in
the region, wide-ranging sanctions, and non-proliferation mechanisms such as export controls.
The United States also engaged in two major diplomatic initiatives to have North Korea abandon
its nuclear weapons efforts in return for aid.

In 1994, faced with North Korea’s announced intent to withdraw from the
nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) which requires non-nuclear weapon states to forswear the
development and acquisition of nuclear weapons, the United States and North Korea signed
the Agreed Framework. Under this agreement, Pyongyang committed to freezing its illicit
plutonium weapons program in exchange for aid.

Following the collapse of this agreement in 2002, North Korea claimed that it had withdrawn
from the NPT in January 2003 and once again began operating its nuclear facilities.The second
major diplomatic effort were the Six-Party Talks initiated in August of 2003 which involved
China, Japan, North Korea, Russia, South Korea, and the United States. In between periods of
stalemate and crisis, those talks arrived at critical breakthroughs in 2005, when North Korea
pledged to abandon “all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs” and return to the NPT,
and in 2007, when the parties agreed on a series of steps to implement that 2005 agreement.

Problem statement:

Noth korea nuclear program threat to the US interest of denuclearization that influence USA to
impose sanctions on North korea.

Reserarch Question:

Q:1 How north korea develop its nuclear program?

Q:2 What is the US response on North korea nuclear program?

Research methodolology

It is a basic type of reaserch to explore the topic that how north korea develop their nuclear
program and what are the us response on north korea nuclear program. My purpose of doing
research is explanatory research in order to know the US response on north korea nuclear
program.

Main Argument :

North Korea has active and increasingly sophisticated nuclear weapons and ballistic missile
programs, and is believed to possess chemical and biological weapons capabilities.Nuclear issue
between the US and north korea worsening their relationship . North korea nuclear program is a
tension between the two states and US response by imposing sanctions on the north korea further
escalate the tensions.

Theoretical Framework:

Realism is supporting the north korea nuclear strategy as realism key concepts are that states as
most important actor in international relation as US and North korea each act under the
consideration of its own self interest. North korea wants its nuclear program due to its stability
and position in international system and other states and US imposed sanctions on north korea to
prevent north korea becoming nuclear power. Realism explain international relations exercise in
term of Power and the states exercise power towords each other as north korea exercise power
by nuclear test and US and other states imposed sanctions on north korea by exercising power.
Realism explain that state secuirty and survival are the primary core concern of the state as one
of the reason of north korea to become nuclear power is to ensure its secuirty and survival. To
pevent north korea to bcoming a nuclear power is threatning of its nuclear program to the
secuirty and survival of other states. Realism explain that in pursuit of national secuirty states
strive to increase national power as north korea increasing its national power by developing its
nuclear power. Realism explain that actions of states in international system is according to their
national interest as North korea and USA taking actions according to their interest. Realism
explain that states like man behave in a self interested manner as North korea is showing a self
interested behaviour feel uncertain about its neighbour intentions.Realism explains that first
priority of every state is to ensure its safety and survival not rely on other actors like UN for its
survival as happened in north korea does not depend on UN for its survival. Realist explain that
international institution and law can only be play role if backed by effectve Sanction as UN fail
to solve the conflict among the states.Realism explain that international system exist in anarchy
no central authority to regulate relation among the states so UN is not playing an effective role in
solving dispute.

ANALYSIS:

Nuclear Strategies:

North korea nucear strategy is conidered as good because secuirty and survival are the primary
core concern of the state as reaist said. North korea feel detterrence from Uunited States invsion
against north korea so it is necessary for the states to ensure its survival by increasing its power
rather than depend on institution like UN for its survival.North Korea’s strategy is not difficult
to predict. Decades ago, North Korean leaders decided to go nuclear and subsequent global
events have increased their resolve they openly say that Saddam Hussein would still be alive if
he had acevents have increased their resolve they openly say that Saddam Hussein would still be
alive if he had actually possessed weapons of mass destruction.

Impact on International Senario:

North korea missile and nuclear program development is good for its secuirty and survival and
economic prosperity but bad impact on international senario. Its worsen its relations with the
other states as it is happening USA the superpower and other states imposed sanctions on its
worsening its relationship with its neighbors.Like south korea and other states banned its items
and cut dipomatic relations which result in major dispute of north korea with USA and other
state which fuerther result in nuclear war which will destroy the states and having long asting
effects as it was happened in World War 1 War 2 . its threat the secuirty of the states.

Interest beyoond its actions:

The interest beyond its nuclear action is to ensure its safety and survial , economic prosperity for
respect in international arena and to threat USA against north korea invasion.thats why he coduct
six nuclear test. The first point says the tests were carried out under its "byungjin" policy, a
twofold strategy of investing in the economy and the nuclear program. Tests were carried out in
sequential order to achieve the country's aim.

Need to become a nuclear power:

North korea need to become nuclear power due its secuirty and survival concerns which is
primary core concern of the state. North korea also deter with USA invasion against north korea.
Although north korea abandon its nuclear program and now a day he is moving towords peace
taks. As north korea already said that We will never use nuclear weapons unless there is a
nuclear threat or nuclear provocation to our country.

Historical Background:

1985:North Korea signs the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).1993:The International

Atomic Energy Agency demands that inspectors be given access to two nuclear waste storage
sites. In response, North Korea threatens to quit the NPT but eventually opts to continue
participating in the treaty.1994:North Korea and the United States sign an agreement. North
Korea pledges to freeze and eventually dismantle its old graphite-moderated nuclear reactors in
exchange for international aid to build two new light-water nuclear reactors.2002January 29 US
President George W Bush labels North Korea, Iran and Iraq an axis of evil in his State of the
Union address. By seeking weapons of mass destruction, these regimes pose a grave and growing
danger he says.October The Bush Administration reveals that North Korea has admitted
operating a secret nuclear weapons program in violation of the 1994 agreement.2003:January 10
North Korea withdraws from the NPT.2005:North Korea tentatively agrees to give up its entire
nuclear program, including weapons. In exchange, the United States, China, Japan, Russia and
South Korea say they will provide energy assistance to North Korea, as well as promote
economic cooperation.2006:September 30 - At six-party talks in Beijing, North Korea signs an
agreement stating it will begin disabling its nuclear weapons facilities.December 31 - North
Korea misses the deadline to disable its weapons facilities.2008:December - Six-party talks are
held in Beijing. The talks break down over North Korea's refusal to allow international
inspectors unfettered access to suspected nuclear sites.2009:May 25 - North Korea announces it
has conducted its second nuclear test.June 12 - The UN Security Council condemns the nuclear
test and imposes new sanctions.2011:October 24-25 US officials meet with a North Korean
delegation in Geneva, Switzerland, in an effort to restart the six-party nuclear arms talks that
broke down in 2008.

2012:February 29 The State Department announces that North Korea has agreed to a moratorium
on long-range missile launches and nuclear activity at the nation's major nuclear facility in
exchange for food aid.2013:February 12 Conducts third nuclear test. This is the first nuclear test
carried out under Kim Jong Un. Three weeks later, the United Nations orders additional
sanctions in protest.2014:March 30-31 - North Korea warns that it is prepping another nuclear
test. The following day, the hostility escalates when the country fires hundreds of shells across
the sea border with South Korea. In response, South Korea fires about 300 shells into North
Korean waters and sends fighter jets to the border.2015:May 6 - In an exclusive interview with
CNN, the deputy director of a North Korean think tank says the country has the missile
capability to strike mainland United States and would do so if the United States "forced their
hand."December 12 - North Korea state media says the country has added the hydrogen bomb to
its arsenal.2016:January 6-7 - North Korea says it has successfully conducted a hydrogen bomb
test.

2017:July 4 - North Korea claims it has conducted its first successful test of an intercontinental
ballistic missile, or ICBM, that can "reach anywhere in the world."July 25 - North Korea
threatens a nuclear strike on "the heart of the US" if it attempts to remove Kim as
SupremeLeader.September 3 - North Korea carries out its sixth test of a nuclear weapon, causing
a 6.3 magnitude seismic event, as measured by the United States Geological Survey. Pyongyang
claims the device is a hydrogen bomb could describes the weapon as up to eight times stronger
than the bomb dropped in Hiroshima in 1945.November 28 - A South Korean minister says that
North Korea may develop the capability to launch a nuclear weapon on a long-range ballistic
missile at some point in 2018.2018:January 2 Trump ridicules Kim in a tweet. The president
says that he has a larger and more functional nuclear button than the North Korean leader in a
post on Twitter, responding to Kim's claim that he has a nuclear button on his desk.January 10
The White House releases a statement indicating that the Trump administration may be willing to
hold talks with North Korea.March 6 - South Korea's national security chief Chung says that
North Korea has agreed to refrain from nuclear and missile testing while engaging in peace talks.
North Korea has also expressed an openness to talk to the United States about abandoning its
nuclear program.1

Reasons of north korea nuclear program development:

1. Guaranteeing security of the state

2. Economic development and prosperity

3. Gaining respect and prestige in the international arena

US sanctions:

From 1950 to 2008, trade between the United States and North Korea was restricted under the
US Trading with the Enemy Act of 19117 After 2008, some restrictions related to
the International Emergency Economic Powers Act stayed in effect. In February 2016, the North
Korea Sanctions and Policy Enhancement Act of 2016was passed whi requires the President to
sanction entities found to have contributed to North Korea's weapons of mass destruction
program, arms trade, human rights abuses, or other illegal activities imposes mandatory
sanctions on entities involved in North Korea's mineral or metal trade, which comprises a large

1
Cid Standifer,” A brief history of north korea nuclear program development,”UNSI news,1sep,2017.
part of North Korea's foreign exports.imposes new sanctions authorities related to North Korean
human rights and cybersecurity abuse.

In July 2017, after the death of tourist Otto Warmbier, the United States government banned US
citizens from visiting North Korea without special validation starting 1 September 2017.In
August 2017, the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act was passed.On 21
September 2017, President Donald Trump Executive Order 13810 allowing the United States to
cut from its financial system or freeze assets of any companies, businesses, organizations, and
individuals trading in goods, services, or technology with North Korea. Also any aircraft or ship
upon entering North Korea is banned for 180 days from entering the United States. The same
restriction applies to ships which conduct ship-to-ship transfers with North Korean
ships. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin stated that "Foreign financial institutions are now on
notice that going forward they can choose to do business with the United States or North Korea,
but not both." A statement from the White House said "Foreign financial institutions must
choose between doing business with the United States or facilitating trade with North Korea or
its designated supporters." On 25 September 2017, the US Treasury barred the entry of North
Korean nationals to the United States.

On 11 July 2018, during a summit in Brussels, NATO leaders called for continued pressure and
ongoing sanctions enforcement on North Korea. The group of 29 countries, including the United
States, signed a declaration which called on members to maintain pressure on North Korea
though also welcomed recent diplomatic progress in the region.

On 13 November 2018, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and Japanese Prime Minister affirmed
the need to keep sanctions on North Korea to achieve its denuclearization On 20 December 2018,
it was reported that the United States plans to review its ban on US travel to North Korea.The US
Treasury Department announced a new raft of sanctions on Friday in an attempt to target entities
linked to North Korea's shipping and trade sectorsThe latest sanctions are directed at one person,
27 shipping companies and 28 vessels, according to a statement posted by the Treasury's Office
of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
The sanctioned entities include companies with headquarters in North Korea, as well as ones
based out of other countries, including China.2

North korea abandon its nuclear program:

Trump ridicules Kim in a tweet. The president says that he has a larger and more functional
nuclear button than the North Korean leader in a post on Twitter, responding to Kims claim that
he has a nuclear button on his desk.January 10 The White House releases a statement indicating
that the Trump administration may be willing to hold talks with North Korea.March 6 -South
Korea's national security chief says that North Korea has agreed to refrain from nuclear and
missile testing while engaging in peace talks. North Korea has also expressed an openness to talk
to the United States about abandoning its nuclear program, according to Chung.March 8 Chung,
standing outside the White House, announces that Trump has accepted an invitation to meet.
KimNorth Korea says its quest for nuclear weapons is complet" and it no longer need to test its
weapons capability a significant development ahead of diplomatic engagement with South
Korrea The announcement appears to signify a remarkable change in policy for Kim, following a
relentless pursuit of nuclear and ballistic weapons as a means to ensure his regime survival -The
news comes six days before a meeting between Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in, a
precursor to a much-anticipated planned encounter between Kim and President Donald Trump
expected to take place in late May or early JuneThe United States and South Korea welcomed
the development, which they said was a sign of progress and a promising start to upcoming
talks.North Korea has agreed to suspend all Nuclear Tests and close up a major test site. if the
secuirty and survival of a state is guaranted.Trump tweeted. This is very good news for North
Korea and the World.

Criteria to abandon its nuclear program:

North korea announced that it is abandon its nuclear program if secuirty of a state is guaranted
by other states. and he wants to improve reations with USA and south korea.

• The first point says the tests were carried out under its byungjin policy, a twofold strategy of
investing in the economy and the nuclear program. Tests were carried out in sequential order to
achieve the countries aim.

2
Kelsy Davenport,’’Chronolgy of US north Korean missile Diplomacy,’’Arms control association,2april.2019.
•North Korea will no longer conduct nuclear or intercontinental ballistic missile tests, and to
ensure transparency the test site would be closed.

• North Korea says it will work with the international community to halt nuclear testing
worldwide.

We will never use nuclear weapons unless there is a nuclear threat or nuclear provocation to our
country. Nor will North Korea transfer nuclear weapons and technology

• There is Development of a strong socialist economy will become a priority for the country.

• The country says it will improve relations with neighboring countries and the international
community.

US- North korea Summit:

The 2018 North Korea–United States Singapore Summit, commonly known as Singapore
Summit, was a summit meeting between North Korean Chairman Kim Jong-un and U.S.
President Donald Trump in Singapore. This was the first-ever meeting between leaders of North
Korea and the United States. They signed a joint statement, agreeing to security guarantees for
North Korea, new peaceful relations, the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, recovery of
soldiers' remains, and follow-up negotiations between high-level officials. Both A second
meeting was held between Trump and Kim in February 2019 in Hanoi Vietnam .hampered talks
with the U.S. and a solution for the denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula.

In November 2018, North Korea repeated its demand that U.S. economic sanctions be lifted as a
condition for proceeding with talks, while the Trump administration continued to insist that
North Korea make concessions first. Meetings between Secretary of State Mike Pompe and
North Korean officials were scheduled, canceled due to disagreements, and then
rescheduled. The February 2019 summit was confirmed after Kim Yong Chol North Korea’s top
negotiator, met with Trump in the Oval Office on January 18, 2019

The 2019 North Korea–United States Hanoi Summit, commonly known as the Hanoi Summit,
was a two-day summit meeting between North Korean Chairman Kim Jong-un and U.S. Presidet
Donald Trump, held Hanoi, Vietnam, on February 28, This was the second meeting between the
leaders of the DPR and the United States, following the first meeting in June 2018 in Singapore.
February 28, 2019, the White House announced that the summit was cut short and that no
agreement was reached. Trump later elaborated that it was because North Korea wanted an end
to all RYong-ho asserted that the country only sought a partial lifting of five United
Nations sanctions placed on North Korea between 2016

deception" by offering to dismantle one missile base while developing sixteen others. The
Times reported this expansion program was long known to American intelligence but
contradicted Trump’s public assertions that his diplomacy was yielding results.following the
June 2018 summit, Trump had declared "There is no longer a Nuclear Threat from North Korea
sleep well tonight3

Conclusion:

it is conlcuded that North Korea has active and increasingly sophisticated nuclear weapons and
ballistic missile programs, and is believed to possess chemical and biological weapons
capabilities. Since 1985 he started to develop its nuclear program he conduct six nuclear
test.The main reason behind its nuclear program is the secuirty and survival of state and to
threaten USA against invasion of north korea. The international response is not good at all USA,
japan. china, Eureopeon union, south korea imposed sanctions on it. It worsening the relation of
north korea with other states. but in 2018 he abandoned its nuclear program and now a days
moving towords peace talks with USA and south korea. TeThnsions relaxed between the states
north korea announced that there is no need for further nuclear test if secuirty of the state is
guaranted. There is expectation of meeting between US presidents and north korean president
soon for peaceful environment and better reation between the two states.

3
Victor cha,”US north korea summit,”Center of strategist and international studies,18,December,2019.