North Korea Tensions

Tension between United States of America and North Korean tensions has been rising recently with both leaders, Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un, resorting to name calling and threats of military action. Many Americans have been speculating a war due to the escalations of words between the leaders, but is this relationship between the two countries anything new? The tensions between the U.S.A and North Korea has been slowly growing since the Korean War. Tensions between the U.S.A. and North Korea first began during the 1980s, when North Korea developed their first nuclear power plant, Yongbyon, aided by the Soviet Union (Boghani, 2017). Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital, insisted their aims were peaceful with nuclear development and agreed to the

and North Korean tensions hit new heights in October 2006, with North Korea’s first nuclear test. The United Nations responded quickly with a resolution requiring North Korea to abandon nuclear testing and their missile programs. In response, a North Korean representative stated the nuclear test was attributed to the non-cooperation of the U.S.A. (Security Council Condemns Nuclear Test, 2006) In April 2009, North Korea launches the Unha-2 in aims to place a satellite into orbit. The U.S.A. and its allies considered the launch a violation of U.N. Resolutions. The Security Council then imposed stricter sanctions, which led to North Korea stating it would no longer adhere to the any agreements of the Six Party Talks. Within the following days, North Korea Ordered IAEA agents out of the country (IAEA Inspectors Asked to Leave, 2009). During May 2009, a second nuclear test was conducted which led to more sanctions. October 2011, North Korea states they are willing to resume multilateral talks, but shortly after the statements, leader Kim Jong-Il suddenly passes away leaving his position to his son Kim Jong-Un. Under the rule of Kim Jong-Un, ballistic and nuclear test would ramp up significantly. Despite agreeing to a moratorium on nuclear and long-range missile tests with the Obama administration, North Korea launched two more rockets in an attempt to put satellites into orbit. In response, the U.N. Security Council produced a new resolution that condemned the launches, expanded travel bans, and froze assets to certain individuals and organizations. The decision of U.N. did not seem to deter Kim Jong-Un, as three more nuclear tests would occur between 2013 and 2016. In September 2016, North Korea had claimed to test their first hydrogen