By Gunnar Westberg
TFF Board member
An easy Q & A session:
Question: What does Kim Jong-un and the leaders of DPRK, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea want?
Answer: Security for themselves, power and privileges.
Q. Are their privileges and their leadership threatened?
A: Yes. From outside and from inside.
Q: What outside danger?
A: An attack from the USA.
Q: Is there a real threat from the USA?
A: It seems so, from the perspective of Pyongyang. There are US exercises by air and navy, showing off the superiority of the US forces. And verbal threats.
Q: Why have DPRK developed nuclear weapons?
A: The leaders believe, just like in other nuclear power states, that nuclear weapons are effective deterrents.
Q: What is the danger from the inside?
A: A revolt from the repressed and destitute masses.
Q: How can the leaders prevent a revolt and keep their power?
A: By force, by fear but mostly by pointing at the danger of an attack from the South. There is one thing the people fear more than their leaders: A war. Nuclear weapons give a feeling of security, just as the US Ambassador to the UN, Ms. Nikki Haley, explained for the USA.
Q : How can we decrease the danger from DPRK?
A: There are two main ways:
1. Stop the military provocations.
2. Start negotiations.
In 1994 a “framework” of an agreement was reached and DPRK stopped their nuclear weapons program for several years. When that agreement gradually fell apart, former President Jimmy Carter helped negotiate a second agreement , which unfortunately was not accepted by President George W. Bush . Today the situation is more difficult, but if the DPRK leaders feel assured that they will not be attacked, that there will be no attempt of a regime change, progress can be achieved. And DPRK leaders can always be bought.
However, there is one great danger: If the threat from the south is removed, the people of DPRK may start a revolt, the government may fall and masses of people from North Korea will start walking, into South Korea and into China.
Maybe that is the reason the USA does not want to solve the “problem of North Korea”? Or is it just the need for an enemy?
One thing is obvious: Military threats against North Korea strongly supports the leaders of the country and increases the risk of war, maybe a nuclear war.
Gunnar Westberg
