Kim threatens to use nuclear weapons in any clash with the U.S. and South Korea
NPR Online NewsDec 24, 2022
New North Korea Law Makes Nuclear Policy ‘Irreversible’
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Image copyright: KCNA/Reuters [via Al Jazeera]
The Facts
On Thurs., North Korea's Supreme People's Assembly passed a law allowing it to carry out a preventive nuclear strike if another country poses an imminent threat and declaring its status as a nuclear-armed state "irreversible."
This newly-enacted law also bans the sharing of nuclear technology with other countries.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
North Korea's actions pose a severe threat to the stability of the Korean Peninsula and the security of the rest of the world. The US has so far failed to negotiate an end to nuclear weapons in exchange for humanitarian assistance - it's time for some new ideas about how to resolve this threat.
Establishment-critical narrative
Though Kim may seem like a madman, he's simply using the only leverage he has in dealing with South Korea and the US. His nuclear ambitions are designed to seek political gains and sanctions relief after successive American administrations derailed diplomatic routes to denuclearization.
