N.Korean nuke test short of deterrent

North Korea’s official media announced today the country had successfully conducted a nuclear test, confirming international media reports that Pyongyang had carried out its fifth nuclear test. A 5.0-magnitude earthquake in North Korea was detected by overseas monitoring services. South Korea claims the explosion was the most powerful one North Korea has far tested thus far.

Today’s test happened only eight months after the claimed hydrogen bomb test of January, the shortest time span between any two previous tests. Two weeks ago, North Korea conducted a submarine-launched ballistic missile test, and a few days ago it launched three missiles.

Pyongyang seems to be set on intimidating the US and South Korea, who are exerting more military pressure. It is also trying to force the international community to abandon their efforts to seek a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula. But the efforts only drew a backlash. It has created anger and embarrassment, but unlikely to scare the outside world.

North Korea should bear in mind that nuclear weapons are only a strategic deterrent tool and cannot be resorted to. North Korea has scarce resources and its economy is limited, the number of its nuclear arsenal would be small, so it could not reach the minimum threshold of a global nuclear power.

Look at how much Pyongyang has sacrificed for nuclear weapons. It has become the world’s most isolated country. It is suffering from extreme economic difficulties. Its top leader diplomacy is almost zero. The “growth in national strength” cannot transform to influence.

Northeast Asia is in a mess. The THAAD issue has led to a stalemate between China and the US-South Korea alliance. North Korea is taking advantage of this, hastening its nuclear tests. Seoul believes the new North Korean tests make it more necessary for the US to deploy the THAAD missile system.

They are all wrong. What they are doing will only drag Northeast Asia into deeper chaos.

Owning nuclear weapons won’t ensure North Korea’s political security. On the contrary, it is poison that is slowly suffocating the country. It is turning into a country possibly with one or two nuclear bombs but nothing else – no prosperity, no opening-up, no security confidence.

North Korea has not become any stronger because of its fifth nuclear test. The Korean Peninsula nuclear issue knot has merely tightened.

It’s North Korea’s national day on Friday. We understand how eager the country wants to boost morale. But the nuclear weapon that’s more like a firework for the North Korean people may well become a flare that signals pending warfare. We sincerely hope North Korea is aware of the situation and open to advice.