It is known to us that Kim Kye Gwan further stated that North’s nuclear possession is for ‘defense purposes’ and that ‘possession will not be permanent.’ How can there be such a thing as nuclear weapons for defense purposes? Nuclear weapons are not patriot missiles nor are they like the regular weapons which are to be launched because an enemy launches one. How did North Korea come up with the argument of the ‘nukes for defense purpose’? Along these lines, we are assured of North Korean regime’s foolish reality judgment.

The present nuclear states include United States, Russia, China, France, Great Britain, India, Pakistan, and Israel (predicted). South Africa attempted to possession nuclear weapons but abandoned it, and other countries once part of Soviet Union that inherited nuclear device voluntarily renounced their nuclear possessions. It is a known fact that a state can secure international acknowledgement by nuclear weapons possession. However, this is only true for a ‘normal state.’ States highly distrusted or classified as terrorist supporting states never gained international acknowledgement through nuclear possession, not even silent acknowledgement. Kim Jong Il would have liked to make North Korea as the number case to break that record, but his attempt will fail just as other states have and will meet the end he would not have liked to expect.

Time and Current Affairs, No Longer on Kim Jong Il’s Side

North Korea never intended to abandon its nuclear possessions. Even after the Geneva Agreement, North Korea had been secretly continuing its nuclear development and we have discovered that it had pursued an upgraded way of nuclear development such as uranium enrichment. According to the testimonies of former North Korean high rank officials such as Hwang Jang Yop, former International Secretary of the North Korean Worker’s Party, Kim Jong Il has long been planning to continue developing nuclear weapons and if anything, uses it as a negotiating card. This is a ‘kill two birds with one stone strategy’ where it continues developing nuclear weapons yet use it as a threat to extort money from other countries at the same time.

North Korea is reaching the last stop. It has utterly admitted its nuclear possession. Until recently statements lingered around ambiguous expressions such as “we have secured nuclear deterrence” or “we can possess more than nuclear weapons,” but this time, they clearly announced that it is a ‘nuclear state.’ Kim Jong Il may have predicted that at about this point the international society would become alarmed and ask “what is it you want?” He wants to replay the sweet memory of 1993-1994. However, as we can see, the environment is silent and cold.

Above all, Kim Jong Il met the wrong match. The United States is not longer the same United States as before and the same with the international society. The President and the Secretary of State have called North Korea ‘outposts of tyranny’ from the beginning and now, the administrator entered its second term. It would be like a nightmare for Kim Jong Il. Especially now that the North Korean nuclear problem is in discussion in the frame called ‘six-party talks’ in which North Korea cannot play games with the U.S. like before but is pressured by the larger nations to find a solution. If it fails to reach an agreement, the problem will be taken to the United Nations for further negotiation. Once taken to the UN, North Korean nuclear possession will become an international problem, which will give Kim Jong Il the least desirable results.

Meanwhile, Kim Jong Il will be threatening the world saying, “Are you not afraid of our nukes?” but no state will be threatened by him. Not even the brother country China, not even South Korea that had been dragged around by North Korean demands, will be able to find any reason to advocate in favor of North Korea. As Kim Jong Il feels driven into a corner, whatever he attempts, Kim will only cause more isolation of his country. Today, we can easily predict pro-North Korea groups equivocating words and advocating for North Korea’s ‘defense purpose nuclear weapons’ shouting the ‘U.S must abandon its hostile policy towards North Korea.’ However, if they really desire Kim Jong Il to maintain his regime any longer, the best way would be to directly tell Kim Jong Il, who is now digging his own grave, to abandon nuclear weapons. Time and the state of current affairs are no longer on Kim Jong Il’s side.