North Korea has been, and is increasingly becoming, a topic of heightened concern within the international community.
In December, their government tested long-range rockets, violating international law. Although the North Korean government claims that the rockets were carrying satellites for their space program, the U.N. increased sanctions against North Korea after the launch. A month later, the North Korean government went a step further and announced that they are preparing to test nuclear technology for a third time, and that they are planning to test more long-range rockets. They also made it known that both the nuclear test and the missile tests are pointed at the United States. These actions have caused so much concern that even China supports the U.N.’s resolutions against North Korea’s recent missile tests.
The North Korean government is not happy with the U.N.’s resolutions and sanctions. This is reflected in North Korea’s state-run media, which claims that the U.N. resolutions and the countries that support them are violating North Korea’s national sovereignty. The North Korean media is also condemning the presence of U.S. forces in South Korea as they prepare for an exercise with the South Korean military.
It could be argued that the U.S. is exercising its national sovereignty by participating in an exercise with the South Korean military. The accusation that the U.N. is violating North Korea’s national sovereignty is ironic and hypocritical, while North Korea is also unhappy with the U.S. for using its national sovereignty to participate in drills with the South Korean military.
If North Korea values its national sovereignty and wishes to use it to reason with others, it should respect the national sovereignty of other states as well. But perhaps that is too much to ask from the hermit kingdom.
Go to:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-21175466
http://www.kcna.co.jp/item/2013/201302/news03/20130203-07ee.html
http://www.kcna.co.jp/item/2013/201302/news02/20130202-01ee.html
http://www.kcna.co.jp/item/2013/201302/news02/20130202-35ee.html