Sep 12, 2016The UN may call for new sanctions, but unless the Chinese cut off airspace and ports, close the border, stop the North Koreans from using the Chinese financial system… the sanctions aren’t going to work.
↩︎ Quartz
Back at It With North Korea's Nuclear Weapons
- South Korea announces an official plan to kill Kim Jong-un in the case of a legitimate nuclear threat. Updated Sep 27, 2016 ago
- North Korea's tests signal a "sales pitch" to other rogue states for nuclear missiles.
- Sanctions seem to have little effect on the growth of North Korea's nuclear program, and in some cases help it grow.
How to Kill Kim Jong Un, if Necessary
Giving confirmation to what had long been assumed, South Korean Minister of Defense Han Min-koo admits that there is an official government plan to assassinate Kim Jong-un in the case of a legitimate nuclear threat.
The Futility of Sanctions
The U.S.'s immediate response to North Korea's fifth and largest successful nuclear test has been its usual one: threatening stricter sanctions, but a 2014 study published by George Washington University's Elliott School of International Affairs found that sanctions have little effect on the growth of North Korea's nuclear program, and in some cases have helped it grow.
Additionally, a UN panel found in February that many nations that sign on to UN sanctions of North Korea fail to follow through with them, most notably China, where a recent ABC News investigation found that security along the 870-mile-long border between the two countries is "minimal" and allows hundreds of trucks to pass through to North Korea unsearched.
Sep 13, 2016The United States cannot rely on China for North Korea. China is closer to North Korea than the United States.
↩︎ The New York Times
Steps Taken Toward a Nuclear North Korea
The South Korean Ministry of National Defense issued a statement saying that it is preparing "for the worst case scenario" after North Korea tested its most powerful nuclear weapon yet last week—its fifth successful nuclear test, and second this year—and fired three ballistic missiles that flew over 600 miles and crashed into the Sea of Japan today as world leaders met at the G20 Summit in Hangzhou, China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Vientiane, Laos.
The missile tests swiftly earned the unanimous condemnation of the UN Security Council, including China. According to the Nuclear Threat Initiative, the missiles tested were likely ER Scud, which have the ability to reach a US naval base in Japan. It has long been a goal of the North Korean nuclear program to achieve "survivable nuclear capability," or the ability to quickly launch missiles from submarines and launchpads to thwart any pre-emptive attack.
The language of North Korea's statement regarding the tests suggests it is approaching that capability, saying that it had "standardized" nuclear warheads. As of last month, according to the Arms Control Association, a nonpartisan organization started by former defense and military officials in the '70s, North Korea's nuclear capabilities still lag far behind those of other nuclear states, with just eight total warheads, compared with the second-lowest amount, Israel's 80.
The Editors' Longreads Picks
- An excellent essay on poverty and writing by Starr Davis. Updated May 31, 2022
- Novelist Héctor Tobar tries to understand the 1992 Los Angeles riots through the experiences of a single high school.
- Steven Johnson with a long assessment of the current state of A.I. and language. (The illusion has gotten very good.)
Welcome to The Morning News Tournament of Books, 2017 edition.
- Our championship match is decided in the Tournament of Books, with news of a Rooster surprise debuting this summer. Updated Mar 31, 2017
- In Thursday's action, Reyhan Harmanci sets up a colossal final.
- The Zombie round opens with Buzzfeed's Isaac Fitzgerald reading The Nix and The Underground Railroad.
Все ваши Белый дом принадлежит нам.
- "Will Putin expose the failings of American democracy or will he inadvertently expose the strength of American democracy?" Updated Mar 3, 2017
- Wilbur Ross just wanted to make some money in ethically gray areas (that should've prevented him from taking office).
- Jeff Sessions's spokeswoman can't help but continue to lie.
The oceans are under assault, and not just from the White House and friends.
- Trump's assault on the environment begins with American headwaters. Updated Mar 1, 2017
- Don't just blame the oil companies for destroying the oceans—blame sushi restaurants.
- Nothing escapes the deepest trenches of the ocean floor. Not light, not nutrients, not pollutants.