• Title/Summary/Keyword: Nuclear weapons

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An assessment of sanctions on North Korea and the prospect (대북 제재 조치 평가 및 전망)

  • Cheon, Seong- Whu
    • Strategy21
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    • s.31
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    • pp.5-26
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    • 2013
  • The South Korean society has experienced many changes since the sinking of ROKS Cheonan. The government reviewed its defense posture and adopted the 5·24 Measure in its relations with North Korea. As a result, the people of South Korea became more conscious of security situations on the Korean peninsula while North Korea's economy suffered badly. Meanwhile, the South Korean government has taken a flexible stance toward North Korea in terms of exchange and cooperation since September 2011. The flexible stance was to manage inter-Korea relations in a stable manner and relieve the hardships of the North Korean people while preserving the spirits and purposes of the 5·24 Measure. The UN Security Council adopted twenty-six resolutions and statements on North Korea since June 25, 1950. They include thirteen U.N. Security Council resolutions including those concerning nuclear weapons or missile programs, nine Presidential statements, and four press statements. Resolution 82, the first U.N. resolution on North Korea, came when the Korean War broke out. Resolution 825, the first one related to nuclear or missile programs, was adopted in response to North Korea's withdrawal from the NPT. Apart from these U.N. resolutions, the United States has imposed separate sanctions against North Korea. North Korea's nuclear weapons program can be considered in comparison with that of Iran in terms of the consequences they create for the regional security. The Security Council has adopted six resolutions on Iran so far. One should note that the resolutions on Iran have had much stronger sanctions compared to those imposed on North Korea. That is, while the North Korea case may be viewed as a more serious threat to international security from the perspective of nuclear weapons development or proliferation, tougher sanctions have been placed on Iran. There are two approaches that South Korea should take in addressing the related issues. First, we should aim to reduce the gap between sanctions imposed on Iran and North Korea. It is difficult to understand that a country with more serious problems is rewarded with lighter sanctions. We should take measures through the Security Council Sanctions Committee to make individuals and groups in North Korea that play a central role in developing nuclear weapons and missiles subject to additional sanctions. Second, we have to change. Other countries in the international community have become tired of North Korea's nuclear issue and now they look to South Korea for initiative. We should correctly understand this current situation and play a leading role within our capacity. Knowingly and unknowingly, the notion that the North Korean nuclear issue may be left to South Korea has been spread around the international community. Although the situation is grave, we should try to open a new horizon in ushering in the unification era by taking the initiative with confidence that there is a looming hope ahead of us. For these tasks, we should stop thinking in the old way that has been ossified for the last two decades. We should not be pushed around by neighboring great powers in dealing with North Korea related issues anymore; we should take the initiative with resolution that we will play our role at the center of four great powers and with confidence that we can do it. Based on the confidence that the Republic of Korea has become a country with enough capacity to take the initiative, we should establish a 'National Grand Strategy' representing South Korea's strategic vision that the unification is the ultimate solution to the problems related to North Korea's nuclear weapons program.

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Study on Military Policy of North Korea (북한군사정책 특징 연구)

  • Kim, Sung Woo
    • Convergence Security Journal
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    • v.16 no.3_1
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    • pp.107-114
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    • 2016
  • The North Korean regime, Kim Jungun's foreign policy is changed frequently. And their military policy has no gravity. North Korea has developed nuclear weapons and long range missile. Now they have Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile. These activities redound a great threat in Korean peninsula. There are a no possibilities to give up its nuclear weapons and missile development. For the peace in Korean peninsula, we should make North Korea to abandon its nuclear himself through effective sanctions. Now China should effort to control North Korea. To reduce the threat we should coordinate the strategic interests of China and US. This study is to predict the North Korea military activities to analyze "military policies."

The North Korean Nuclear problem and disarmament of Outer Space (북한 핵문제와 우주군축)

  • Noh, Dong-Young
    • The Korean Journal of Air & Space Law and Policy
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    • v.32 no.2
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    • pp.219-246
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    • 2017
  • Nuclear issue is a good example showing globalization of the international regime. The history showed nuclear weapons may cause the extinction of human races when the first nuclear bombs fell down to Japan in August, 1945 and people became increasingly eager to achieve peace. Military buildup for national security is a matter of existence in the international society. However, disarmament or arms control to secure international peace and safety which is also the purpose of the Charter of the United Nations may be the most important task for us to realize peace of the mankind. Today, disarmament, together with amicable settlement of international conflicts and collective security system, is an important means to maintain and promote international peace and safety. It might be our permanent task to realize complete disarmament but, as the Preamble of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) expressed general and complete disarmament, the international society has clarified its effort for complete disarmament. Thus, taking a look into the international regime on the nuclear issue and progress related to the nuclear issue in North Korea, the study was intended to introduce the globalization of the nuclear issue, review the international effort for nuclear disarmament based on the concept of the 'common heritage of the mankind' and with respect to the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) and controls over nuclear weapons, and then evaluate the North Korean nuclear issue, which is in direct relation with South Korea and international laws, in terms of the space law and disarmament acts. The collective security system along with policies to prevent dissemination of nuclear weapons should also be emphasized and implemented to cope with the North Korean nuclear issue.

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How the New York Times Portrayed the 2010 Brazil-Turkey-Iran Nuclear Deal: A Critical Discourse Analysis

  • Esfandiary, Esmaeil
    • Journal of Contemporary Eastern Asia
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    • v.14 no.2
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    • pp.57-68
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    • 2015
  • This paper examines the New York Times' reaction to the 2010 Brazil-Turkey-Iran (BTI) nuclear deal, the very last diplomatic effort before the imposition of international sanctions track over the following years. The New York Times' (NYT) coverage of the deal is examined using the Critical Discourse Analytic (CDA) approach formulated by Teun van Dijk. The results show a strong bias against the BTI deal throughout the NYT's news coverage. The overarching theme in cover-age of the deal is the imputation of malignant intentions on the part of both Iran ("to kill time to further its nuclear weapons program") and Brazil and Turkey ("to advance their own business dealings with Iran and gaining international recognition"). Also, non-relevant information is used to imply a threat of Iranian development of nuclear weapons. Moreover, the NYT leaves almost totally "unsaid" that president Obama had asked Brazilian and Turkish leaders to go to Tehran and get this deal. Therefore, the NYT basically echoed, and legitimized, discursive practices of the U.S. government on the deal.

Material attractiveness of unirradiated depleted, natural and low-enriched uranium for use in radiological dispersal device

  • Ahn, Jihyun;Seo, Hee
    • Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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    • v.53 no.5
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    • pp.1652-1657
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    • 2021
  • Nuclear materials can be utilized not only for peaceful uses, but also for military purposes; hence, the international community has devoted itself to the control, management and safeguarding of nuclear materials. Nuclear materials are of varying degrees of usability for development of nuclear weapons. Thus, several methods for assessing the attractiveness of nuclear materials for nuclear weapons purposes have been proposed. When these methods are applied to unirradiated depleted, natural, and low-enriched uranium (DU, NU, and LEU), they are certainly classified as non-attractive nuclear materials. However, when nuclear material attractiveness is to be evaluated for potential radiological dispersal device (RDD) uses, it is required to develop a different method for the different aspects and factors. In the present study, we derived a novel method for evaluating nuclear material attractiveness for use in RDD development. To this end, the specific activity and dose coefficient were identified as the two sub-factors, and, in consideration of those, the mass causing detrimental health effects was determined to be the main factor impacting on nuclear materials attractiveness. Based on this factor, the attractiveness of unirradiated DU, NU, and LEU for RDD use was qualitatively compared with that of 137Cs.

Preparation and Consideration of Sample Collection in Undeclared Areas for Denuclearization Verification

  • Kim, Dong Yeong;Kim, Giyoon;Lee, Jun;Lim, Kyung Taek;Chung, Heejun;Seo, Jihye;Kim, Myungsoo
    • Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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    • v.19 no.4
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    • pp.479-489
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    • 2021
  • The Republic of Korea is expected to participate in the denuclearization verification activities by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in case any neighboring countries declared denuclearization. In this study, samples for the verification of nuclear activities in undeclared areas were selected for the denuclearization of neighboring countries, and the appropriateness of the procedures was considered. If a country with nuclear weapons declares denuclearization, it must be accompanied by the IAEA's verification regarding nuclear materials and weapons in the declared and undeclared areas. The analysis of the process samples or on-site environmental samples and the verification of undeclared nuclear facilities and materials aid in uncovering any evidence of concealment of nuclear activity in undeclared areas. Therefore, a methodology was established for effective sampling and analysis in accordance with proper procedures. Preparations for sampling in undeclared areas were undertaken for various potential scenarios, such as, the establishment of zones according to radiation dose, methods of supplying electricity, wireless communication networks, targets of sampling according to characteristics of nuclides, manned sampling method, and unmanned sampling method. Through this, procedures were established for pre- and post-site settings in preparation for hazards and limiting factors at nuclear inspection sites.

Comparison of North Korea's Military Strategy before and after Nuclear Arming (핵무장 전.후 북한의 대남 군사전략 비교)

  • Nam, Man-Kwon
    • Journal of National Security and Military Science
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    • s.5
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    • pp.173-202
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    • 2007
  • After successful nuclear tests Pakistan launched a more severe surprise attack toward India than before. It is highly possible that North Korea will adopt this Pakistan military strategy if it is armed with nuclear weapons. The North Korean forces armed, with nuclear bombs could make double its war capability through strengthening aggressive force structure and come into effect on blocking reinforcement of the US forces at the initial phase of war time. Therefore we may regard that Pyongyang's nuclear arming is a major one of various factors which increase possibility of waging a conventional warfare or a nuclear war. North Korea's high self-confidence after nuclear arming will heighten tension on the Korean Peninsula via aggressive military threat or terror toward South Korea, and endeavor to accomplish its political purpose via low-intensity conflicts. For instance, nuclear arming of the Pyongyang regime enforces the North Korean forces to invade the Northern Limit Line(NLL), provoke naval battles at the West Sea, and occupy one or two among the Five Islands at the West Sea. In that case, the South Korean forces will be faced with a serious dilemma. In order to recapture the islands, Seoul should be ready for escalating a war. However it is hard to imagine that South Korea fights with North Korea armed with nuclear weapons. This paper concludes that the Pyongyang regime after nuclear arming strongly tends to occupy superiority of military strategy and wage military provocations on the Korean Peninsula.

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North Korea's Nuclear Strategy: Its Type Characteristics and Prospects (북한 핵전략의 유형적 특징과 전망)

  • Kim, Kang-nyeong
    • Korea and Global Affairs
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    • v.1 no.2
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    • pp.171-208
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    • 2017
  • This paper is to analyze the type characteristics and prospects of the North Korean nuclear strategy. To this end, the paper is composed of 5 chapters titled introduction; the concept and type of nuclear strategy; the nuclear capabilities of North Korea and the declarative nuclear strategy; the operational characteristics and prospects of the North Korean nuclear strategy; and conclusion. Recently, the deployment of nuclear weapons and the enhancement of nuclear capabilities in North Korea have raised serious problems in our security and military preparedness. Nuclear strategy means military strategy related to the organization, deployment and operation of nuclear weapons. The study of North Korea's nuclear strategy begins with a very realistic assumption that the nuclear arsenal of North Korea has been substantiated. It is a measure based on North Korea's nuclear arsenal that our defense authorities present the concepts of preemptive attack, missile defense, and mass retaliation as countermeasures against the North Korean nuclear issue and are in the process of introducing and deploying them. The declared nuclear declaration strategy of the DPRK is summarized as: (1)Nuclear deterrence and retaliation strategy under the (North Korea's) Nuclear Weapons Act, (2)Nuclear preemptive aggression, (3)The principle of 'no first use' of nuclear weapons in the 7th Congress. And the intentions and operational characteristics of the North Korean nuclear strategy are as follows: (1)Avoiding blame through imitation of existing nuclear state practices, (2)Favoring of nuclear strategy through declarative nuclear strategy, (3)Non-settlement of nuclear strategy due to gap between nuclear capability and nuclear posture. North Korea has declared itself a nuclear-weapon state through the revised Constitution(2012.7), the Line of 'Construction of the Nuclear Armed Forces and the Economy'(2013.3), and the Nuclear Weapons Act(2013.4). However, the status of "nuclear nations" can only be granted by the NPT, which is already a closed system. Realistically, a robust ROK-US alliance and close US-ROK cooperation are crucial to curbing and overcoming the North Korean nuclear threat we face. On this basis, it is essential not only to deter North Korea's nuclear attacks, but also to establish and implement our own short-term, middle-term and long-term political and military countermeasures for North Korea's denuclearization and disarmament.

A Study on Development of Civil Defense CBR Virtual Training Simulation Scenario (민방위 화생방 가상훈련 시뮬레이션 시나리오 개발 연구)

  • Jung, Tae-Ho;Jang, Jae-Soon;Park, Sang-Hyun
    • Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
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    • v.16 no.3
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    • pp.175-183
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    • 2014
  • In spite of international efforts to control nuclear weapons and chemical, biological, and radiological (CBR) weapons, North Korea obtains and sells CBR weapons illegally. As a result, the worldwide threat of CBR weapons is increasing. Unfortunately, civil defense education and training for CBR weapons have not been adopted for real situations because of the long period of absence of an actual combat. In this study, virtual training scenarios that are applied to the simulation were made in 5 steps to cope with CBR situations. These scenarios are expected to have three effects. First, trainings can be improved with experience and education. Second, the problems and health hazards of CBR weapons and supplies can be solved with CBR virtual training simulation experience. Finally, corresponding effects can be recognized and predicted in real situations through roles and mission procedures of simulation scenario.