North Korea\'s Nuclear Proliferation

¶ … North Korea has acknowledged that it has a development program for nuclear technology. International talks and pressure tactics have attempted to halt this perceived proliferation of nuclear weapons; however, the methods used (from political pressure to sanctions) have not been successful. I will argue that North Korean proliferation is not the security threat feared by the West and explore how nuclear advances in Southeast Asia may actually help stabilize the region, as opposed to the prevailing opinion that a nuclear North Korea is a situation to be avoided at all costs.

In order to study the international relations of the Korean Peninsula and make the argument that a North Korean nuclear program may actually increase regional security, I am going to endeavor to find sources which are related to the subject both generally as well as specifically. This will first include an investigation of the major theories of international relations and the research of political scientists such as Cho, Waltz, Mearshimer, Nye, and Walz, to name only a few of the significant theories that may be applied to the North Korean situation.

To investigate the current political situation there, I will be using many of the secondary sources such as books and journals that are more reliable and recognised than ones on the Internet. As the topic is dealing with the issue of nuclear weapons proliferation, which is updated on regular basis, it is essential that I also put a focus on newspapers and magazines. One of my subjects this semester is called "Contemporary Asian Security;" research and current developments in this are will constitute a significant portion of my dissertation. Because the subject itself is mainly about East Asian security reading and research throughout the course should be helpful to understanding general relations in the area, which will contribute to a better understanding of specific relations; specifically, the regional debate and potential consequences of a North Korean nuclear program..In exploring these different resources, I will detail how different international relations theories treat the North Korean issue. Secondly, I will examine the specific situation in North Korea and the influences on the nation to develop a nuclear program; this section of the dissertation will rely heavily on secondary sources and the limited primary sources of information from the North Korean government. Finally, I will utilize the most viable of the international relations theories explored in section one to explain why proliferation in the Korean peninsula is not necessarily a security threat to the area.

Searching secondary sources, and primary ones if possible, regarding this topic will be mainly done at the library at the Nathan Campus and occasionally University of Queensland as well. Due to the comparative nature of the study, it is likely that many different views of neighbouring countries will be stated on top of the main topic. Thus it will be useful to read books on other countries' stance, not only on the North Koreans' per se. More than anything else, as has been mentioned, a large section of this dissertation is a study of the security situation in East Asia, North and South Korea in particular. To achieve this, it is necessary to find sources regarding the situation, which will be done through qualified books at the library, scholarly journals and articles. Commentary in these should be good references to write the dissertation on one issue with many different views, not just those of the region but also the international opinion regarding this situation.