What is the issue?
- The aggressive rhetoric between US-North Korea is making serious concerns in global security.
- A miscalculation by either side might lead to a war that will destruction of frightful proportions.
How escalated is the issue?
- US - It agreed to install THAAD (Terminal High Area Air Defence) in South Korea which created distress for North Korea.
- The US and Japan successfully downed a test medium-range ballistic missile with a new interceptor launched from a guided-missile destroyer.
- That was a message to North Korea that its missiles can be intercepted.
- The US and South Korea responded by holding a joint missile drill to counteract North Korea.
- North Korea-It carried out the first of its 18 missile tests since new presidency in USA.
- To coincide with the US Independence Day, North Korea carried out what it claimed as an ICBM test.
What are the global strategies to contain North Korea?
- Resolution 2371 was unanimously passed at the Security Council.
- North Korea has been under sanctions since 2006.
- But if the new resolution is implemented, it will cut its export earnings by US$1 billion from the current level of $3 billion.
- China has publicly advised North Korea to abide by the resolution.
- USA has said that if China helps in stopping the tests by North Korea, it is prepared to accept the huge trade imbalance with China.
What can be a possible solution?
- Sanctions have not worked in the past, they are unlikely to work in the future.
- The six-party talks (the two Koreas, US, Japan, Russia, and China) in the past did give some results.
- The talks have to start without conditions and what is realistic is a halt to North Korea’s programme against economic aid and political respect.
- It might be possible to denuclearize the Korean peninsula over a period of time after signing a peace treaty ending the Korean War.
- It will make more sense to have two-party (US and North Korea) talks rather than revive the six-party talks.
Source: IDSA
