North Korea: What would you do if you were President Obama?

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is a tyrant and is using the same leadership style as his father (the late Kim Jong Il).  He is exercising military might at home to create a sense of crisis with aggressive military tactics aimed at South Korea (with a newly elected President-Park Geun-hye), Japan and the United States. Kim Jong Un does not care about the welfare of North Koreans (money is spent on the military but many citizens are starving). The Pyongyang regime is ignoring U.N. Security Council sanctions in response to its Feb. 12^th nuclear test (Time Magazine- Ramzy March 2013). North Korea dropped its recognition of the armistice that ended hostilities in the 1950-53 Korean War and has threatened to carry out a nuclear strike against U.S. “aggressors.” It warned it was pulling out of all non-aggression pacts with the South. Are all of these threats a way for an inexperienced leader to direct the world’s attention away from the country’s failed economy and poor living conditions? It looks that way.

President Obama and his administration have to take what any government says seriously even if this is all hot air – so far there are only plans for a limited response. They feel that North Korea does not possess long-range missiles that would allow it to hit the U.S.

If I were in President Obama’s shoes it would not only be necessary to strengthen U.S. missile defenses in the area (to show support for South Korea) but it would also be important to recognize China’s role and how much it could influence North Korea’s behaviour.  Beijing was upset about North Korea’s nuclear test in February; however, this did not deter China from investing in its infrastructure in the border region – they plan to build five new bridges to North Korea to improve trade (Lefkowitz and Whiton-April 12, 2013 The Washington Post). China’s lack of pressure on North Korea has been disappointing…there are no quick solutions.