This post could have NUCLEAR consequences for committee!!

Image result for nuclear missile north korea

As historical background, DPRK unilaterally pulled out of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty in 2003, and since then has been working on its nuclear program. Sophisticated tests are known to have happened since 2006 as well. As recently as 2017, DPRK has been testing intercontinental ballistic missiles. While they have had nuclear technology for a while, this advancement means they are able to send their nuclear capabilities as far as Hawaii and Western China in theory.

There have been pivots in recent history, however. In 2018, after talks with S. Korea and the USA, DPRK has said that they are committed to no longer conducting nuclear testing and want to push for complete denuclearization. Despite this, there are still members of the Trump administration who are wary about how serious N. Korea is about denuclearizing. One popular theory being reported by political scholars is that N. Korea not wanting to denuclearize for the sake of big stick diplomacy. Essentially, if N. Korea gives up its nuclear arsenal, the rest of the world has no reason to fear, aid, and comply with them. The current regime fears collapse if they give up their one trump card in this geopolitical conflict. On a similar note, this is why N. Korea is against any Anti-Ballistic Missile Defense Systems from the US and allies. They could potentially neutralize the one thing N. Korea has over them.

Beyond nuclear weapons, it is known that DPRK also possesses chemical and biological weapons including anthrax, smallpox, and 2-5k tons of CW agents.

Knowing this in committee, think about how this will play a role in your negotiations. What are both sides willing to concede? What do you value most? What are your true end goals, and what are simply means to achieve that?

Sources:
https://www.nti.org/learn/countries/north-korea/

https://www.axios.com/trump-north-korea-denuclearization-hanoi-summit-9bf6dc7f-55bd-4909-ae84-1c99e2df29cf.html

https://www.businessinsider.com/reason-north-korea-needs-nukes-deterrence-vs-expansion-2018-1

Comments

  1. Institute of Disarmament and PeaceFebruary 28, 2019 at 10:13 PM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Institute of Disarmament and PeaceFebruary 28, 2019 at 10:16 PM

    Hey everyone!

    I'm Asim and I'm representing the Institute of Disarmament and Peace (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) for the Republic of Korea. I'm really excited to get into committee action tomorrow.

    In regards to this post, the Institute of Disarmament and Peace strongly concurs with the U.S.'s push for denuclearization through *negotiations*. Our minister Kang Kyung-wha fully agrees that any progress towards reunification must come with full denuclearization first. As a global community, we do have reason to sanction the DPRK to discourage nuclear arsenal development so we can ensure global security.

    However, we would like to point out established reason for the nuclearization in the first place. Kim Jong Un maintains his strong belief in "byungjin", or parallel advance when it comes to nuclear arsenal development and economic development (Sang-Hun, NY Times). Essentially, Un believes that he only feels safe to pursue economic development with a nuclear threat on his side. Instead, the DPRK faces harsh sanctions due to its nuclear arsenal, and progress is slow, with the government having to resort to drastic measures to bring wealth into the nation, such as cyberterrorism or slave labor in Siberia.

    Kyung-wha and the Ministry have advocated for partially lifting sanctions to encourage the DPRK to fix several economic issues in the nation, namely its railroad system and its power plants. Notice how the most recent summit just a few days ago in February 2019 ended with the DPRK asking for a lift on sanctions. Although a complete removal may be too hasty, we do not think it is unreasonable to start in that direction so the international community can actually invest into the DPRK's economic future, increasing cooperation towards denuclearization.

    As for the biological and chemical weapons, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Kyung-wha are very saddened to hear of the human rights abuses that plague the DPRK. We recognize that, if a solution involving reduction of sanctions is pursued, we must make sure that removal of these weapons is a priority alongside nuclear weapons.

    Looking forward to work with everyone!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

North Korea 2019: The world’s biggest cyber threat?

Image
Photograph: YONHAP/AFP/Getty Images The biggest cyber threats to the United States and Western nations are Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea. What’s special about North Korea, however, is that their hacking is entirely government sponsored. North Koreans do not have internet access, save for elites, so ordinary citizens can’t become hackers like in other countries. Instead, North Korean hackers are hand-picked from state universities and are trained through real-world trials (not just practice problems and simulations), allowing them to quickly become world-class hackers. These hackers form specialized units such as Bureau 121 or the Lazarus Group. For North Korea, cyber warfare has become an incredibly effective way to inflict pain on Western nations. Perhaps you might remember the infamous Sony Pictures hack that led to the cancellation of the theatrical release of The Interview. Or the WannaCry ransomware attacks that disabled computers, and caused the NHS to turn away
Read more

Introduction - Arjun Banerjee

Hey Delegates! My name is Ajrun Banerjee and I will be the head chair of the Joint Crisis Committee this year. This is my third year as a head chair for BMUN, the previous two years I was the head chair for Historical Crisis. Overall this is my eighth year at BMUN, four as a member of the secretariat and and four as a delegate. Outside of BMUN, I am a fourth year Statistics major with a minor in history. Other than academics, I am currently unsuccessfully pursuing a career in stand up comedy. (please do not google me until after conference). If y'all have any questions about the topic, college or pursuing the arts in college feel free to email me. I look forward to meeting all of you! 
Read more