On Tuesday, February 12 (the night of Monday, February 11 in the U.S.), North Korea conducted its third nuclear test. While the test might seem like more of the same intermittent provocation from the “hermit kingdom,” there’s reason to believe that North Korea’s nuclear threat is advancing slowly but surely.
The Center’s Duyeon Kim offered her take in an op-ed syndicated by McClatchy. Here’s an excerpt:
“…this test is a pivot point. It is a clearer indication that North Korea is gearing up to play offense in the new game of hard ball. Pyongyang appears to be seeking recognition as a nuclear weapons state by creating a volatile situation on the Peninsula, thus forcing Washington into peace talks to replace the armistice and remove U.S. troops from the Korean Peninsula. Pyongyang seems uninterested in rolling back its nuclear programs but rather, a peace regime institutionally irreversible and encoded in U.S. law.”
You can read the full piece on the website of the Kansas City Star, here.
