Nuclear Promises, Nuclear Consequences

Kim Jong Un, the supreme leader of North Korea, remarked the year of 2023 as successful, highlighting its “great turn and great change”. (Aljazeera) Kim refers to the post-pandemic policy change North Korea underwent since the beginning of 2023. According to the United States Institute of Peace, the North Korean government became “increasingly resilient and authoritarian”, significantly reducing ties to conventional interactions in the international community. Since the beginning of the Covid -19 pandemic, the country has further secured their totalitarian status, employing extreme measures of lockdown, halting any import and exports, and executions when rules are violated. More notably, North Korea has “actively pursued” to strengthen political-economic relations with fellow authoritarian states China, Russia, Cuba and Iran while pushing away other partners and support from the broader international community. (Jeon) Moreover, the stricter United Nations sanctions imposed on the country seem to push the state away from diplomatic relations, with the closing of numerous embassies across Spain, Hongkong, and Africa, and is unlikely to have any effect in denuclearization of North Korea. (McCurry) Throughout 2023, hostility between Pyongyang, Seoul, and Washington have only heightened with record-level nuclear tests conducted, especially with Pyongyang’s new military spy satellite: Hwasong-18 ICBM. Most recently, Kim has ordered to “accelerate” war preparations, claiming the US’s confrontational actions and tightening sanctions as the cause.  (Aljazeera)

The Future

The year of 2024 promises to accomplish the nation’s “five-year development plan” , amidst public party speeches suggesting weapons testing will continue into 2024 in defiance of international sanctions. (Aljazeera)  Relations with Washington and Seoul have been on a steep decline and North Korea is delivering on its pledge of preparations for war as Kim reveals plans to launch 3 more spy satellites. (Kim) Ties with China and Russia are only set to tighten, as North Korea aims to boost the economy with trading, especially with supplies of  weaponry for Moscow in the ongoing Ukraine war. (Jeon)

Collateral Damage: The people

In the midst of hasty preparations for military confrontations, Kim remarked North Koreans must wage a “more courageous and resolute struggle despite the ever-increasing challenges and difficulties” (Aljazeera) The statement reflects the ongoing economic crisis and the waves of famine that struck the nation, exacerbated by the poor agriculture that fail to meet the needs. The current political measures and relations in North Korea resulted in trade restrictions and sanctions that consequently inflicted severe damage on the economy. While Kim’s government is dead-set on plans to achieve nuclear dominance, the people are promised another year of strenuous humanitarian struggle to grapple with.