These days, North Korea keeps threatening the world with missile launch tests. On September 16th, North Korea showed 29 pictures and a video of the launching of an IRBM, the intermediate range ballistic missile. Kim Joeng eun, the leader of North Korea even said that they will launch an ICBM, the intercontinental ballistic missile, which can reach to Western USA in a few days. Because of North Korea’s actions like these, many countries are stopping trade with North Korea to stop North Korea from making and launching missiles. The University of Hawaii even sent email titled ‘In the event of a nuclear attack’ to students and teaches about the rules to follow when North Korea attacks Hawaii. Also, from this November, there will be a nuclear evacuation drill every month. It’s the first nuclear evacuation drill since the Cold War finished.

There was a UN Assembly on September 19th, and Trump, the president of the USA, declared the complete destruction of North Korea while he was delivering his keynote speech. He said, “USA is militarily ready for North Korea. It’s not a priority, but if we need to, we will destroy North Korea.” For his comments, two researchers from Yale university said, “If he destroys North Korea, over 25 million people will die, and it is a direct violation of the UN’s Genocide Treaty.” Also, Russian Senator, Andrey Klimove said, “Trump’s comment about the destruction of North Korea is strange because South Korea and Japan will be seriously damaged if the USA destroys North Korea, but South Korea and Japan are USA’s allies.” When Lee Young-ho, the foreign secretary of North Korea, came to the UN Assembly for his keynote speech, he even said, “There is a saying that goes, ‘The dogs bark, but the caravan goes on.’ If they tried to stop us by dog barking, that’s truly a silly dream.” Also, on September 21th, Kim Jeong-eun issued a proclamation under his own name of North Korea’s leader. He said, “Trump said crazy things that we could have never heard from any other former USA presidents.” It’s the first time that the North Korea’s highest leader issued a proclamation under the name of North Korea’s leader. Many people think that this proclamation shows how furious Kim Jeong-eun became.

Many countries have stopped providing the main ingredients of missile fuel to North Korea, but North Korea is still making missiles. Some people think that China or Russia may be providing them with the materials, but others say that North Korea may be able to make the fuel by itself now. Also, they say that if North Korea can make the fuel, cutting off missile fuel to North Korea would be too late to stop them. Jeffrey Lewis of Middlebury Institute of International Studies said that he found that North Korea is making UDMH, the missile fuel, in a factory. He could find out this because he found very a thesis about missile fuel in North Korea’s science journal. The thesis was about how to treat poisonous water, but in the thesis, complicated knowledge about missile fuel was included. If it’s true, we should be careful of North Korea’s missile launch and prepare to defend our country. Policies to stop North Korea peacefully will only work after we make sure that we can protect our country from North Korea’s sudden attack.

2017.10.11

Jang Hoyeon