Kim Jong-Un is known for announcing the significant steps its taking in the field of nuclear weapons. Recently, Kim did it again by announcing a "miraculous achievement." North Korea tested ballistic missiles, underwater, that shot off far from the North Korean homeland. The missile is described as a "time-bomb" that is capable of going off at any time. The tests are a violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions. Daniel Pinkston, deputy project director for North East Asia at the International Crisis Group think tank, told CNN that, if authentic, the latest missile test "would be quite significant," since North Korea has been working on these capabilities for decades. "If they can deploy an operational submarine that could launch ballistic missiles armed with nuclear warheads, it would give them a pretty credible second strike capability, and it's difficult to defend against. So it would give them the kind of deterrent that they have said they wish to have," he said. "Everyone knew they had been working on this. I think actual flight test is sooner than people had expected." It is quite alarming to people who actually understand whats going on, and the steps Kim Jong-Un is taking towards nuclear war.
From 2008 to 2013, there was an average of about 2,400-2,900 refugees annually leaving the country in search for a better life in the south. In 2014, there were only about 1,396 defects recorded. This is a large decrease in the number of defects. Studies have shown numerous reasons as to why there was a sudden decrease in 2014. First off, economically, North Korea is nowhere close to being as poor as it used to be. Even though malnutrition is still a problem, starvation isn't as common even to the poorest people. Secondly, Kim Jong-Un sees defection as a very bad thing. He sees as it as an opportunity for private information to flow out of the borders. As a result, he has created a strict policy which has created more fences, employed more guards, and made sure that the guards are continuously rotating. Finally, Kim is using propaganda techniques to persuade his people that they should not want to leave "socialist paradise" for "capitalist hell" down south. Also, labor migration is pushing people to work harder to make the teams that will travel to China and so fourth, instead of just running for China on their own. These policies and techniques have been very effective as we notice the significant drop in defectors.
North Korea and Russia have been talking recently. Efforts have been made to strengthen cooperation politically, economically, and militarily. On March 17, the Kremlin confirmed that Kim Jong-Un will travel to Moscow, marking his first time leaving the country since the death of his father. Kim was invited by Putin, along with several other leaders, to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Soviet Union defeating the Nazi Germany. Only a portion of those leaders have confirmed their attendance, one of them being Kim. Some say that large social events, like this one, make Putin feel good about himself and as if he is an important international leader. Though, others say it is a largely empty symbolic gesture.
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May 2015
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