ScholarWorks@숙명여자대학교

초록

The implications of North Korea’s six nuclear tests and successful test launch of the Hwasong-15, which can strike the U.S. homeland are multifaced; will the stability of deterrence on the Korean peninsula be maintained?; will North Korea use or threaten to use nuclear weapons as it invades South Korea or starts local military provocations near the border between the two countries?; how credible is U.S. nuclear extended deterrence provided to South Korea now that North Korea has the capability to directly attack the U.S. homeland with nuclear-tipped ICBMs?; will the U.S. resort to military options of striking North Korea’s nuclear facilities and leadership?; is there a chance that nuclear accident or unauthorized use of nuclear weapons may happen in the North Korea because of the problem with command and control of its nuclear arsenal? Meanwhile, a drastic turn of events started by the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games culminated in the two Korea’s Panmunjom Declaration and the U.S.-North Korea Singapore Summit Meeting in which the North Korea committed complete denuclearization and the U.S. promised to provide security guarantees toward the North Korea. Will North Korea give up its nuclear weapons and develop peaceful relations with both South Korea and the U.S. in the near future? The purpose of this study is to examine Kenneth N. Waltz’s proliferation optimism and his optimistic position on nuclear armed North Korea, which shed light on the aforementioned questions. Through the analysis of Waltz’s argument, this study aims to provide a basis for better understanding of the various issues of North Korea’s nuclear weapons and find a solution to the North Korea nuclear problem.

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