The recent nuclear test conducted by North Korea has once again attracted the attention of the international community. The test is a threat to its neighbours
North Korea again rocked the Korean peninsula with its fifth nuclear weapon test on its 68th foundation day. The world leaders and diplomats are again coming together with each other to find the ways to stop North Korea’s unending quest for nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. However, North Korean leaders clearly showed it to the world that any kind of deterrence (economic or military) is ineffective to stop them to pursue their passionate endeavor to have nuclear weapons. The main reason for North Korea to develop its nuclear weapons, stems from domestic reasons, rather than from external motivation.
North Korea deliberately carried out the nuclear test on its foundation day to show it to its people that the country has flourished as a strong military nation under the leadership of Kim Jong-un. One of the important objective of Kim is to achieve the reunification of Korea under the Kim family and to develp the deadly military arsenals which can protect North Korea against any interferences by great powers. The nuclear weapons also provide security to North Korea against any regime change — whether by external forces or by internal means.
It is important to remember that North Korea has only one-party system. The politics of North Korea took place within the framework of the official concept of juche (self-reliance). North Korea functions as a single-party system under a totalitarian family dictatorship. In fact, the totalitarian system of North Korea is believed to be even stronger than the Russian system of Stalin. Moreover, the military is the strongest force in the country which also controls the economic aspect of the country. Therefore, once North Korea took the decision to develop nuclear weapons for entering into the international negotiations, it was difficult to contain it by external or internal pressures. In fact, it exaggerated the external threat and createed domestic conditions, which are favourable for the development of nuclear weapons.
The economic sanctions also have no impact on North Korea's decision to have nuclear weapons. Noteworth is the fact that despite all economic challenges and imposition of economic sanctions, North Korea still has a stable political system. It is mainly due to the issue of nuclear weapons, to which North Korean leaders have attached great importance. In fact, North Korea has used nuclear weapons development to achieve the economic concessions and economic bargain at the international level. Kim has attached greatest importance to Kim's songun or ‘military-first' system, which has not only strengthened its regime’s position, but has also become his norm.
The concept of songun andjuche have been used to justify the nuclear weapons programme of North Korea. The nuclear weapons programme in Songun politics can allow the regime to spread an ideology, show a strong symbol and to meet its bureaucratic interests such as the access to more resources. It is often articulated that it is important to spread the programme of North Korea's nuclear weapons under the disguise of songun politics so as to achieve the regime stability. Therefore, nuclear weapons have become the means of survival and legitimacy for the North Korean political system.
The other reason for not considering denuclearisation is that state authorities have recognised the atomic programme as one of the greatest achievements of Kim II-sung and Kim Jong-ill. Kim Jong-un has, in fact, gained legitimacy from his family's legacy with the help of its nuclear accomplishment. He has established himself as the defender of the juche ideology. Therefore, giving up nuclear weapons would mean giving away of such an ideology, which may cost to have an impact on his regime. The continuity of North Korean regime has resulted in continuity of its nuclear programme also since 1950s.
In reality, it is difficult to imagine a situation where North Korea is ready to give up nuclear weapons or agree to reach any deal which would be favourable to Western interests. This can happen only when there is a regime change in North Korea, which is again a distinct possibility. Till then, the world has to learn to live and to tolerate the nuclear weapons of North Korea.
(The writer is lecturer, Defence and Strategic Studies Department, University of Pune)