North Korea – No Laughing Matter

9,053 kilometers from the coast of California lies a nation blanketed in darkness, populated by impoverished masses buried under the ambition of an absolute power.  This nation is North Korea, and it is currently claiming it can launch a nuclear intercontinental ballistic missile at the United States of America.  Only in momentary flashes can we see or hear the millions of starving citizens of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.  To talk candidly to the outside world about their suffering is to be a defector and a traitor, imprisoned within the walls of a labor camp along with all family members.  Their leader’s hunger for recognition and respect has driven him to irrationality, elevating his nuclear arsenal above the interests of his own people.

The leader of this lawless collective is Kim Jong-un, whose family has held power since the Korean War, which spanned from 1950 to 1953 and ended not in an official treaty, but an armistice.  Previously, he was regarded as an international laughingstock for perpetuating absurd claims about his uncle Kim Jong-Il, which include the deceased dictator’s shooting bullseye three times at the age of seven, getting a 38 under par the first and only time he golfed, and altering the course of meteorological events with the power of his mind alone. However, Jong-un’s nuclear ambition is no joke.  His regime conducted fourteen missile tests in 2017 so far and have begun to fire their missiles into Japanese territory.

Kim Jong-Un’s nuclear ambition is just one aspect of his ruthless pursuit of power.  He dispatched his uncle, Chang Song-thaek, in December of 2013, as Chang was a potential threat to his rule.  He may have ordered the assassination of his half-brother, Kim Jong-nam, in February 2017.  He has proudly proclaimed his desire to annihilate America, including in various state-wide propaganda clips stating his claims about the nation being inferior and immoral.

What are our options with a world leader willing to unleash nuclear Armageddon upon the United States?  We have imposed stronger sanctions, such as capping their exports and expelling their diplomats.  We have installed anti-missile technology in South Korea. However, there is no simple solution to the problem.  All that these efforts can do is work towards reaching an end to North Korea’s nuclear ambition, which would make the world a much safer place, both for us and for the people of North Korea.