The Facts
ORIGINS: The US-North Korea conflict can be traced back to the early years of the Cold War, when the Korean peninsula was divided into two at the 38th parallel. While the US backed the South, the North joined the Soviet sphere of influence.
DISTRUST DEEPENS: In the 1950-1953 Korean War, the US and North Korea fought on opposing sides. Over three years, the US carpet bombed North Korea, decimating the nation and reportedly killing 20% of the population. Three million civilians are believed to have died in the war, primarily in the north.
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 Kim dynasty has run North Korea as a family dictatorship possessed by a delusional ideology and a desire to destabilize East and Southeast Asia. The US has tried and so far failed to negotiate an end to nuclear weapons in exchange for humanitarian aid — it's time for a military ultimatum.
Establishment-critical narrative
North Korea's nuclear ambitions are for its own security and independence, and a direct consequence of past US blunders in foreign policy. Successive American administrations have derailed diplomatic routes to denuclearization, and the US clearly can't be trusted to make good on a deal, especially when it launches large military drills with North Korea's regional adversaries. Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions aim to strengthen its negotiating position.
