Letter to the Editor / THE NORTH KOREAN THREAT

Roger C. Kostmayer

Lets talk about North Korea and its mad dictator Kim Jong Un.  NK, in spite of 20 years of negotiation attempts, efforts by three US Presidents, and some $1.3 billion in inducements to cease nuclear and missile development, simply accelerated development of 100 nuclear ICBMs that will be able to reach US soil within the next 2 to 3 years.  Kim also has 12,000 artillery pieces aimed at US forces and civilians across the border in South Korea.

South Korea, Japan (allies with whom the US has defense pacts) and the US all face an imminent existential national security threat, and their options are both few and horrific.  A preemptive strike won’t take out all missile and nuclear centers and would probably start a nuclear war with massive casualties on all sides.  Alternatively, they can try again to initiate good faith negotiations contingent upon NK’s ultimate denuclearization, but the chances of that succeeding are twofold, slim and none.
There is, however, one viable strategy if China can be persuaded it’s in their interest: Forcing NK to denuclearize by subjecting Kim and NK to economic and military strangulation wherein virtually all imports, exports, commerce and international financial channels are closed by China, US and the UN.  If China realizes that failure to support this global effort will result in chaos, nuclear war and a united democratic Korea – all on their border – it will help.
Ultimately, China and the international community will either hang together and resolve this crisis, or they’ll hang separately.

Roger C. Kostmayer

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