Although there are many significant events going around in the world today, I believe those concerned with world peace situations are the most critical. Of all the peace-threatening issues, the news of North Korea’s intention to restart its nuclear program seems to be the most sensitive one. According to my understanding, in contemporary times, the proliferation of nuclear armament has posed serious threats to world peace and security.
It is because the impacts of using such weapons are far more destructive than those of the early war weapons. The world has witnessed the havoc caused in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Today, the North has been considered a vital threat ever since the country’s withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in 2003 and its first nuclear tests in 2006. Because of the threatening nuclear activities, the North had been reckoned as a member of the ‘Axis of Evil’ by the Bush Administration even before its declaration of possessing nuclear weapons in 2006.
After a short time of ceasing the nuclear programs for diplomatic incentives, the current plans of North Korea to restart the nuclear reactors seems to be a major event that can lead to the exacerbation of world peace today. Apparently, the country is asking the International Atomic Energy Agency to remove seals and surveillance cameras at the North’s nuclear reprocessing facility in order to let them carry out activities without the use of nuclear material but I feel there is a greater possibility of the other way round.
You may disagree with my point of view but history shows how North Korea violated the Agreed Framework in the 1900s and continued the nuclear activities till it was finally detected by US intelligence agencies. This shows the potential of the North to damage world peace situations.
However, I would not consider the country completely erroneous in its latest attempt at restarting nuclear reactors. With continuous tensions and a threat of attack from the neighboring country of South Korea, the North has few options to try but to restart the nuclear program. It is only with nuclear power that the country can maintain its security conditions. But this national security is in direct clash with international peace because with the restarting of nuclear reactors, the North is restarting another wave of nuclear proliferation across the globe.
I see the current move of North Korea as another step towards the degradation nuclear agreement since the implementation of the country’s current plans can trigger a whole wave of nuclear programs by the other nations. It is due to the uncertainty around North Korea’s nuclear activities that the US has not removed its name from the list of terrorist states. However, I also feel that this very failure of the US to remove the name of North from the blacklist could have caused reactionary behavior from the country. Another reason behind such an aggressive move can be the falling health of Kim Jong II. As Kim has no evident successor, the country is bound to take necessary protective measures in order to avoid South Korea from invading and taking over power after Kim’s death.
Accompanied by these facts, I feel that the current issue of North Korea’s plans of restarting the nuclear program is very critical and poses a vital challenge to the already ruined conditions of peace across the globe today.