Chairs: Yaseen Saeed, Jason Goodman
Moderator: Prisha Gupta Email: [email protected] & [email protected] Topic: North Korean Missile Crisis It’s a common story on most modern news outlets to say that North Korea has violated some international law in their quest for nuclear weapons, but the heart of the issue on the Korean peninsula is far more complex than just that. Since the utter destruction of the small East-Asian nation by American bombs in the Korean war of the 1950’s, North Korea has sought nuclear weapons. Whether these weapons are for the purpose of defense or revenge is something that has been highly debated, but what is certain is that the North Koreans have succeeded. While it is unknown when North Korea first acquired nuclear weapons, the first successful test of a North Korean nuclear weapon occurred in 2006. As of 2023, North Korea is believed to have between 6 and 60 nuclear weapons, including at least one ICBM. North Korea has claimed success in creating an even more powerful hydrogen bomb, but this is currently unconfirmed. North Korea has conducted at least 6 nuclear tests over the last two decades, many of which in the areas very near to South Korea and Japan. This move, perceived by some as a direct threat of an offensive North Korean nuclear strike, has exacerbated the conflict in the region. With North and South Korea’s diplomatic relations becoming even more heated than usual and the crisis seemingly soon to reach a boiling point, delegates must find some middle ground to deescalate the situation and prevent nuclear war.
|