Dong-Yub Kim, a professor of Military and Security Studies at the University of North Korean Studies, analyzes the motive behind DPRK’s unabated pursuit for improvement of nuclear capabilities. Highlighting that the DPRK will continue developing its nuclear arsenal to address external security threat and improve regime stability, Kim cautions that U.S.-ROK governments’ insistence on military response may be politically convenient but detrimental to the long-term stability of the Peninsula. To effectively address the North Korean nuclear issue, Kim proposes that South Korea should work towards creating conditions where nuclear weapons become irrelevant and ineffective. To achieve this goal, he calls for an approach that takes into account the comprehensive impact of nuclear weapons on humanity such as environment, climate, the economy, society, and culture.
