Yeonpyeong on Fire and Enriched Uranium
Sangsoo Lee and Christopher O´ Hara
Each time North Korea hits the headlines for its rash behavior, the world seems to react with surprise. This year, so far, there was the tragic Cheonan incident, the cross border firing, and now, the most worrying incident of all, the artillery strikes on Yeonpyeong. Two South Korean soldiers and two civilians were killed after North Korea fired dozens of artillery shells on Yeonpyeong Island in South Korea. It came only a few days after North Korea’s surprising disclosure of uranium-enrichment facilities to the U.S. nuclear scientists. Larger questions remain; what is the North’s plan after announcing the uranium enrichment capability and the Yeonpyeong attack? What is the main goal of North Korea? This policy brief outlines the reasons behind the Yeongpyoeng Island attack and the revelations of the enriched uranium supply, and shows how they are symptoms of deeper issues.
Related Publications
-
Understanding North Korea’s Resilience through Economy, Laws and Governance: a review of introductory sources and essential monographs
This article reviews contributions that may help researchers re-evaluate the question of the North Korea’s remarkable resilience in spite of its undeniable economic failure, a seemingly obscure legal system, and […]
-
North Korea Denounces Pelosi’s Visit to Taiwan
Introduction: North Korea’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson denounced the visit of Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, to Taiwan on Wednesday. “The current situation clearly shows that […]
-
From Europe, Yoon Suk Yeol Calls for International Cooperation on North Korea’s Nuclear and Missile Threats
Introduction: The leaders of the United States, South Korea, and Japan met in Madrid on Wednesday. Held on the sidelines of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) meetings this week, the trilateral […]
-
Korean Peninsula Tensions Escalate Amid a Return to Old School Policies
Introduction: South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin met his U.S. counterpart Antony Blinken on Monday in Washington, D.C. The meeting came three weeks after a summit meeting in Seoul between […]
-
What North Korea Thinks About the Russia-Ukraine War
Introduction: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has raised many new security concerns not only for Europe, but also for the rest of the world. In Northeast Asia, Russia’s proximity and strategic […]
-
What to Expect From Yoon Suk-yeol’s Policy on North Korea
Introduction: The election of Yoon Suk-yeol, the candidate of the conservative People Power Party, in South Korea’s presidential election on March 9 was an explicit signal for countries involved in […]