While the international community has largely focused on North Korea’s nuclear tests, its continuing development of delivery devices is equally dangerous to international peace and stability.
South Korea’s response to a nuclear reactor crisis at North Korea’s Yongbyon complex depends heavily on many assessments and factors.
In a nuclear crisis scenario at North Korea’s Yongbyon complex, the primary interest of the United States would be to determine and mitigate any immediate security and health threats to our Republic of Korea (ROK) and Japanese allies as well as the U.S. citizens that reside in these countries and China.
Despite the Chinese preparation for a political/military contingency in North Korea, however, a North Korea contingency due to damage its research reactors core causing the core to burn or a nuclear meltdown at its light water reactor is much less discussed in the Chinese policy community.
Japan is highly vulnerable to airborne radioactive fallout from a nuclear incident on the Korean Peninsula, given prevailing westerly winds.
In the case of hypothetical accident with depressurization and ejection of radiation from a North Korean nuclear reactor: what actions might Russia take?
Concerns about the release of radioactive material from damaged reactors, and concerns regarding potential exposure of populations living downwind of the reactors, focuses on the radioactive isotope cesium-137 (Cs137).
In order to move forward, President Moon must be careful to include Russia in his strategy and public statements about denuclearization, especially if he maintains his stated goal of resuming the Six Party Talks.
As the new Moon Jae-in administration begins to put its personnel in place, one of the more challenging international relations to manage will be North Korea.
More than any other sanction imposed on the country, a cutoff of Chinese crude oil, translated into price hikes, angry customers, and slashed revenues, would cause big problems for Kim Jong-un.