North Korean Nuclear Weapon Programmes and Global Security Concerns

Abstract

The paper interrogated the persistent cases of nuclear weapon activities by the North Korean regime and how they have partly affected global security for decades. The paper is qualitative in orientation and explorative in typology; it solely relied on data gathered from secondary sources, particularly published journal articles, reports on global security as regards North Korea’s nuclear weapon programmes, media publications and official reports. Data gathered through documented evidence (secondary sources) was content-analysed with the aid of logical reasoning, while Offensive Realism was employed as a theoretical guide /framework. Hinging on data presented and analyzed, the study established that North Korean nuclear weapon activities have continued to pose a series of threats to global security for years, with serious negative effects. The study recommended the need for the International Community to strengthen targeted sanctions against North Korean nuclear weapons activities while avoiding humanitarian impacts on North Korean citizens. In addition, the United Nations should strengthen its international monitoring mechanisms to prevent North Korea from exporting nuclear weapons to other countries or non-state actors.