Korea (North)

North Korea Widens its Ban on Inspectors

In their latest aggressive move, North Korea has barred international inspectors from the entirety of its Yongbyon nuclear complex and further announced its plans to restart the facility. Although last month it was announced that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) could no longer monitor the reprocessing plant, the agency has stated that its staff were permitted to remain on the site but only in their quarters. The current situation, however, is that the IAEA has been banned from even entering the Yongbyon complex. North Korea has announced its plans to reactivate the Yongbyon plant because of the United States’ failure in fulfilling its part of their 2007 disarmament deal according to North Korea.

North Korea’s latest move in terms of banning the IAEA inspectors from the entirety of the Yongbyon plant not only creates a security dilemma, but further provokes speculation regarding the motivations and future plans of North Korea. Moreover, by creating a shift in the balance of power and refusing to negotiate with the United States, North Korea is isolating itself. While North Korea argues that the United States has not upheld its promise to remove North Korea from its list of state sponsors of terrorism, this aggressive move further solidifies North Korea’s position on the United States’ terror list. In addition, North Korea’s move may in fact cause other states to discuss a preventive war. Although North Korea may not be planning a future attack, its plans to reactive the Yongbyon plant question its growing power and may cause states to wonder if North Korea is planning to attack in the future.

Realist

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-10/10/content_10172541.htm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7661755.stm

October 9, 2008 at 7:56 pm