North Korea Weapons of Mass Destruction

North Korea WMD

The weapons of mass destruction problem in North Korea is characterized by a number of geographic and political issues. North Korea (the Democratic Peoples' Republic of Korea, or DPRK). In January of 2003, North Korea has withdrawn from the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (Chanda and Evans, 2003; Kyong-Soo Kim). In addition, North Korea has developed long-range missiles, and recent reports suggest that the country is now the "world's largest proliferators of ballistic missile technology" (Kyong-Soo Kim). Further, the country is reputed to have chemical and biological weapons (Kyong-Soo Kim). As such, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in North Korea has sparked a great deal of conflict with the United States and other nations.

The weapons of mass destruction problem in North Korea is compounded by spatial and geographic issues. Physically, North Korea borders South Korea, with both China and Japan close neighbors, and Russia in close proximity as well. As such, these neighboring countries have a high stake in the weapons of mass destruction issue in North Korea. Further, a united effort by North Korea's neighbors may play an important role in pressuring the nation to reduce its commitment to weapons of mass destruction (Chanda and Evans, 2003).