The leader of North Korea has ordered his nation’s military to be prepared to carry out pre-emptive strikes, and to have their nuclear weapons ready to use at any time. Reuters reports that Kim Jong Un gave the order in response to the most recent set of sanctions against North Korea, which he feels were masterminded by the United States. The announcement increased tensions in the peninsula, but there is a strong chance that his order was meant for a domestic audience as a sign of strength, rather than as a signal of literal intent to use nuclear weapons. Regardless, both the United States and China are urging restraint in this area in order to prevent tensions from increasing even further.
Access all of The Cipher Brief’s national security-focused expert insight by becoming a Cipher Brief Subscriber+
Member.
Related Articles
Will Anything Stop Iran's Pursuit of Nuclear Weapons?
OPINION -- The weekend bombing of Iran’s nuclear sites in Isfahan, Natanz and Fordow surprised the leadership in Tehran. It shouldn’t have, given [...] More
A Nuclear War is Unwinnable, So Why Do We Keep Preparing for One?
OPINION — “We must prepare for a world where constraints on nuclear weapons arsenals disappear entirely, modernizing U.S. nuclear capabilities today [...] More
