Weapons of Mass Destruction: The North Korean Threat

Abstract

The Bush Administration has placed significant emphasis on countering the weapons of mass destruction (WMD) threats that some states pose. Its famous “Axis of Evil” speech specifically identified North Korea as being a WMD concern. Yet many in the ROK discount the North Korean threat, including its WMD. This article addresses five questions: What WMD does North Korea possess? We do not know for sure, but both the ROK and U.S. governments believe that North Korea has robust chemical, biological, and nuclear capabilities. How might North Korea seek to employ its WMD? North Koreans could use WMD to support an invasion of the ROK, to deter and/or coerce ROK and U.S. action, in limited attacks against the ROK or others, as part of a North Korean civil war, as part of an insurgency against Korean unification, and to obtain funds from other states or terrorist groups. How serious a threat is posed by North Korean WMD? Do the various kinds of WMD give North Korea reliable tools? Even small quantities of North Korean nuclear or biological weapons could cause major damage to the ROK or other neighboring states. Large quantities of chemical weapons could cause similar damage. What can the ROK and the United States do about North Korean WMD? There is no single action that they could take to counter WMD; rather, a combination of many actions, from arms control to protection to deterrence, need to be seriously undertaken.