North Korea Issues and U.S. Policy

North Korea's increasingly reckless behaviour represents an immediate and growing threat not only on the Korean peninsula but to the entire Asia-Pacific region. This region has enjoyed an unprecedented period of peace and prosperity for several decades and has been transformed into an engine of the global economy. However, North Korea's repeated provocations, including last year's July 4th missile launches and the October nuclear test, pose a great threat to the stability required for the region's continued growth. The impact of a major crisis would be felt far beyond Korea, not only in Tokyo and Hong Kong but in London and New York as well. Concerns have been raised that Kim Jong Il and his regime may conduct a second nuclear test in the near future. This, in turn, could trigger a nuclear arms race in the region, with Japan, South Korea, and perhaps even Taiwan re-evaluating their fundamental security needs. The threat posed by North Korea's nuclear program has wider, even global, implications. The regime has long been a major proliferator of nuclear and other weapons-of-mass-destruction materials and technology. Its ties to the Dr. A.Q. Khan nuclear black market network have been extensively documented. In addition, Pyongyang has been involved for many years in missile sales to Iran and other rogue states in the Middle East.