Over the past year, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has accelerated his country’s rush toward nuclear weapons and intercontinental missiles, presenting the world with an impending crisis. North Korea’s isolated dictators have long believed that nuclear weapons will ensure regime survival against U.S. military power, enabling it to unite the Korean Peninsula on its terms. The U.S. has tried diplomatic inducements, including normalization of relations, security guarantees, economic and food aid and confidence-building steps. The regime clearly wants nuclear weapons more than an inducement. And it has not changed its behavior in the face of sanctions.

 I will now talk about solutions to solve the North Korean nuclear issue. Compelling Pyeongyang to make that skart choice offers the best way forward. Another solution can come from China. For decades, China’s dealing with North Korea has undercut U.S. goals in three key areas. First, U.S. economic sanctions against North Korea have proved ineffective if China continued to fund the regime through back channels and allowed its companies and banks to deal with North Korea. Second, China, meanwhile, maintained normal bilateral economic relations with Pyongyang, absolving it of any direct stake in the denuclearization project. China’s economic ties to the North should be the leverage that forces change. First, China should stop maintaining at least 80% to 85% of North Korea’s trade. Second, China to step up and pay directly for the denuclearization of North Korea.

 North Korea famously threatened to reduce South Korea’s capital city to a “sea of fire.” Such a threat takes on new meaning when a country holds nuclear weapons. While South Korea and Japan are protected by their alliances with the U.S. and its nuclear umbrella, how long would that situation hold? If North Korea invaded South Korea, would the U.S. come to its defense if North Korea could threaten the U.S. with a nuclear strike?

 In conclusion to this, if the governments of South Korea, Japan, China, and the United States of America work together and take the necessary precautions, they can over come the threat of North Korea and force them to disband their nuclear weapon program. This will make the world a safer place and people can stop living in fear of North Korea.