After an underground nuclear test and a series of missiles being shot earlier this week, North Korea has the whole world considering its nuclear arms capacity and how serious a threat the nation could be.
(Video footage from Korean Central News Agency)
We’re looking at different media perspectives on North Korea’s potential threat to the global community.
CNN’s John King illustrates what each type of North Korean missile could do to surrounding countries.
The No-Dong missile can reach mainland Japan, including Tokyo, and can reach as far into China as Beijing.
The Taipodong 1 can go even further, reaching the Pacific Ocean.
Yet the missile most people are worried about right now is the country’s newest missile, John King explains…
“The Taipodong 2, a long-range missile--if they perfected this technology—could touch the tip of Alaska and could reach some of the Hawaiian islands and of course a much larger projection around here.”
To get closer to the ground WorldFocus.org has this analysis from an East Asia expert on the strength of North Korea’s armed forces.
“Militarily, the North Koreans, qualitatively, are very poor. Most of their equipment is very outdated. Most of their aircrafts are, for example, dated back to 1950’s and ’60s. Their soldiers are not very well trained. But what they lack qualitatively, they make up for quantitatively. North Korea has over a million soldiers under arms.” Abraham Denmark, the Center for a New American Security
USA Today brings a different perspective, saying the main threat of the recent missile launches aren’t limited only to the regional neighbors or the U.S.
“The greater fear is that the impoverished hermit kingdom will market its nuclear technology or material to other nations or terrorist groups.”
Finally, one National Review Online columnist says the greatest concern of all is the North Korea’s “Dear Leader.”
“…counting on that madhouse country to act rationally seems a bit risky. I don't give a rat’s patoot about France’s nukes, because at the end of the day I trust that the French are sane, civilized people… Kim Jong Il is a different matter.” -- Jonah Goldberg, The Corner columnist
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