North Korea: Is Anyone as Scared as I am?

North Korean efforts to create nuclear bombs ignites fear.

By Sophia Muroff (’18)

Recently captured satellite images suggest that North Korea might conduct another underground detonation in its efforts to learn how to make nuclear arms soon. This test would be its sixth explosive test in a decade, and possibly the most powerful yet. Furthermore, the tests have steadily grown more destructive as North Korea continues to pursue its longtime goal of creating a nuclear warhead that is capable of reaching targets around the globe.

On April 15, Koreans celebrated the Day of the Sun, a holiday that celebrates the anniversary of the death of Kim Il Sung, the country’s founder and grandfather of the current ruler, Kim Jong Un. During  a parade, North Korea put its military might on display as it showed off some of its latest arsenal, including missiles. The day after, an attempted missile launch in North Korea failed.

So why exactly is North Korea creating these weapons in the first place? Boris Derechin (‘19) believes that North Korea is “scared that they are going to be attacked.” He continues, “They also want other countries to know that they are capable of doing serious damage.” His words are not far from the truth. The real reason that North Korea is exerting these efforts is not necessarily to destroy its Korean neighbor, Japan, or even the US, but to create security for their country, their leader, Kim Jong Un, and the Communist regime’s control.

The fact that most people aren’t clear about why this is happening is just as worrisome as the potential for the destruction of some of the most prominent cities in America. Even our own San Diego is put at a risk because of it’s military and navy bases and its proximity to North Korea. Boris Derechin (‘19) only feels a little nervous because he thinks that “North Korea knows that they are weaker than our army.” Jonathan Bielaz (‘18) is worried about the fate of the United States’ west coast because it is the nearest shore to North Korea.

As someone who often worries about the simplest things, I’m very nervous about what could possibly happen to both San Diego and the rest of the world. However, nuclear experts say that North Korea’s program is at an intermediate phase of development, so people shouldn’t worry about it for the time being.