Multiple North Korean nuclear tests and missile threats to “mercilessly strike” its enemies, in the past few week,s have stimulated intense rhetoric and precautions. The reasoning behind the multitude of threats originates from on-going US and South Korean joint military drills. American support of UN sanctions over Pyongyang’s nuclear test on February 12 is also a source of the threats. Under the naïve leadership of Kim Jong Un, North Korea denies any recent nuclear testing since February, yet activity around northern nuke test sites has been observed. In addition, North Korea has a documented map of US mainland missile strikes, indicating potential targets such as Hawaii, California, Washington, Texas, and Guam. However, the Pentagon has confirmed, as of now, that North Korean missiles cannot reach these specific US territories, and that the North Korean rhetoric has not been matched by any legitimate provocative actions from the US. Although Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Martin Dempsey, doubts any North Korean military action, the US has responded to these actions because threats made by belligerent countries cannot be dismissed, most especially those of the unstable Kim Jong Un. North Korea should not be messed with as they do have the potential to attack neighboring US allies that house US troops and citizens. In response, the Pentagon has strengthened military defense, sent two B-52 bombers over South Korea in March, and planted numerous weapons in Guam: a truck-mounted launcher, interceptor missiles, tracking radar, and a fire-control system.
Most recently, North Korea withdrew all 53,000 workers, and “temporarily suspended operation” of the Kaesong Industrial Complex, the only symbol of cooperation between North and South Korea. This bold suspension decreases profits for South Korea, but hinders the North through the loss of a primary source of hard currency. The Secretary of the Central Committee of the North’s governing Workers’ Party of Korea stated that the final decision to terminate or continue industrial cooperation will depend heavily on the South’s government actions and political stance. The Secretary could suggest that this “temporary” hiatus in cooperation is only a method of manipulating the South for political concessions. Currently, the US is considering any threats with great precaution, because it understands that North Korea is in possession of nuclear weapons that have the power to destroy nations.
Sources:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/04/08/north-korea-threats-guam/2062939/
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/09/world/asia/north-korea.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/05/world/asia/north-korea-cross-hairs/index.html
http://news.yahoo.com/skorea-nkorea-may-preparing-test-missile-095436309.html