Threat of North Korea
North and South Korea are divided along the 38th parallel.
As far back as I can remember knowing anything about international affairs, I’ve been hearing that North Korea has wanted to destroy the United States. Recently, the heir of Kim Jong Il, Kim Jong Un, has been more aggressive toward the US. With a new President at home, it’s frightening to imagine where things will go if North Korea chose to attack us.
Every day on the news it seems we hear about North Korea testing the most powerful recent nuclear weapon that is guaranteed to result in mass destruction anywhere it hits. There is wide spread skepticism regarding how far North Korea’s missiles can actually reach, however some think they could reach the West Coast at most, while others think the contiguous United States is not within their scope.
What isn’t causing skepticism is the aggressive approach North Korea has taken, especially the past few months. Kim Jong Un has tested multiple missiles and has grown so confident that he has launched a few of those missiles have crossed over Japanese air space, sparking a furious Japanese response, although no action was taken. North Korea also is keeping their eyes on their next door enemy, South Korea, an American ally. Many fear Seoul is going to be attacked since it’s a densely populated area that is without a doubt within North Korea’s range.
China, North Korea’s ally, has also condemned the recent behavior of North Korea, and seems to want no part in this hostile situation. This fact notwithstanding, if we retaliate against North Korea’s threats in any way, China’s response is an important and unpredictable factor to keep in mind.
Not even a year into office, President Trump has stated that he will not hesitate to attack North Korea if they attack us first. It’s hard to say if Congress will back up his decision as well.
The greatest worry in case of an attack is the innocent lives that would be lost in response to a rash, immature, radical leader. Fortunately, nothing has been done and hopefully, will stay that way. One thing is for certain, it’s better to live with a tense international situation than face thousands, perhaps millions of deaths with a push of a button.
