Description
Despite the progress of the NPT over the past half century, North Korea has been a thorn to the global nonproliferation regime in the post-Cold War. Often described as a renegade or deviant state, North Korea’s growing nuclear arsenals have undermined the nonproliferation norms and has brought about new secondary proliferation threats in the international system. Yet, a careful analysis of the interactions between the NPT and North Korea’s foreign policy behavior reveals a much more nuanced and complex relationship. Adopting a hedging strategy, Pyongyang has always regarded the nuclear option as a valuable tool to leverage its position with the NPT and get the international community engaged. Yet, the NPT has not deviated from its initial twin stance of upholding the nonproliferation norms and the complete denuclearization as its main objectives in dealing with North Korea’s nuclear threats. The very attempts to uphold the nonproliferation norms by the NPT has paved the way for Pyongyang’s nuclearization process after its withdrawal from the treaty. This has led to discordance between the two sides that has further amplified over the past two decades as the NPT continues to focus on denuclearization rather than arms control of North Korea’s nuclear weapons.
