A quick recap for those just joining us: On October 6, 2006 North Korea exploded its first nuclear weapon. This past week, it conducted an underground nuclear test and missile launches provoking international condemnation and raising tensions (and military alert levels) in the region. Satellite surveillance suggests it may have restarted its Yongbyon reactor (and possibly the reprocessing plant) despite the public June 27, 2008 destruction of the reactor cooling tower. Formerly a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, North Korea exercised its right to the three months’ notice of withdrawal allowed under Article X of the Treaty, pulling out in early 2003. Just days ago, North Korea announced that it no longer feels bound by the armistice agreement that ended the Korean War. In this video from the Brookings Institution, Richard Bush, director of the Center for Northeast Asian Policy Studies, examines North Korea’s actions and considers how the United States might respond.
