North Korea has proven itself to be an existential threat not only to the Korean peninsula, but to the entire world.
This Friday morning, the regime tested another intermediate range missile from the Sunan district of the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, which flew 2,300 miles and reached an altitude of 480 miles over the Island of Hokkaido before landing in the Pacific, 1,240 east of Japan.
The test has attracted various international condemnation. The Australian prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, remarked that “this is another dangerous, reckless, criminal act by the North Korean regime threatening the stability of the region and the world and we condemn it utterly.” What is clear however is that the attack is a direct defiance and disregard at the stricter sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council on North Korea earlier this week. In response to this sanctions, the North Korean regime had threatened on Thursday to sink Japanese ships and reduce US to ashes and darkness.
The latest UN sanctions earlier this week laid embargo on the regime's textile and coal export and oil import which is majorly China's domain. Amid this tension, a devastation is brewing that will affect the entire Korean peninsula. It is clear that the North Korean state is impoverished and the revenue blockade will definitely paralyze the economy but the chances of surrender is not clear.
The UN stricter sanctions might be a step in the right direction in compelling a peaceful resolution, but sadly the chances of an humanitarian crisis in the region glitters. Kim won't back down easily and he has proven that point today. What is needful is that the UN exhaust all channels in communicating sense in this man, even channels like Dennis Rodman. Rodman might be a clown but he enjoys easy access with Kim and even claimed involvement in the release of Otto Warmbier. Unlikely channels like Rodman might work miracles if provided chance before unfortunate events unfold. The US might possess enormous nuclear arsenal, but Kim little toys will definitely wrought massive damage in neighboring countries of Japan, South Korea, Guam and US mainland. For all of Kim's ploys, the reputation of the US and UN rest firmly on how this situation handled. If the rest of the world must keep trusting the US and UN, then war must be averted.
