A storm of rogue state is being raised around the world. The democratic People’s Republic of Korea detonated in third nuclear blast-a miniaturized atomic bomb. The test was identified by an earthquake at magnitude of in-between 4.7 and 5.2 on rectal scale. The emerging nuclear state raised serious concerns of international community regarding non-proliferation issues.

Certainly, there is nothing new of surprise in North Korea missile launch. It went for its first self-declared test in October 9, 2006, second test was carried out in May 25, 2009, and the latest third on February 12, 2013, with the announcement of forth and fifth in very near future. The first both tests were made from plutonium devices but the third is reported to be of uranium based. Since, the uranium based nuclear devices are easier to make therefore, the test indicating that Pyongyang’s scientists are getting better at making smaller and more powerful weapons. The current tested nuclear warhead was capable to restrain six to seven kilotons of TNT. Moreover, the planned fourth nuclear test would be much larger than the third intimidating nearly of 10 kilotons of TNT. Since the country has plenty of uranium reservoirs the scientists posed apprehensions about the sternness of North Korea’s nuclear weapon programme.

North Korea had too face sanctions in reaction to its tests in the same way, the very recent test provoked sharp international condemnations for it. The United Nations General Secretary Ban Ki Moon criticized in the words that Pyongyang disobeyed the international calls that the testing was a grave violation of the Security Council Resolutions. With the tougher and more expanded sanctions of the UN over North Korea, it still set out the intentions of uranium based fourth and fifth nuclear test with a possibility of another more long-range rocket launcher.

The North Korea justified the test by targeting the US and its “continual hostility” against it. The country has also been developing missile technology to strike the costal areas of the US. Consequently the US called it as a provocative action and a disastrous outcome to international security and harmony. Additionally, it came up with huge and massive condemnations.

The test created new security concerns for the North East Asian security by congregating Tokyo and Seoul more vulnerable to nuclear threats stemming from North Korea. As a result, the US intended to work collaboratively with its regional allies Japan and South Korea to take every possible measure against North Korean supercilious step.
Pragmatically, the test does not means that North Korea is going to drop nuclear bomb on the US, instead the international community is more concerned about the significant escalating enhancement of North Korean nuclear capabilities. Since, the each new test results with a more sophisticated expertise and technology than its previous attempts.
All around the world, several countries along with the international community is concerned about the new security implications for the country in particular and the region in general, pursued by the current test. China one of the big partisan of North Korea too strongly sentenced against the blast and called it would worsen the situation in Korean Peninsula. The Chinese Foreign Minister in this arena said, “It is China’s firm stance to realize non-nuclearization for the Korean Peninsula and prevent nuclear proliferation and maintain peace and stability in North East Asia.” Another point to keep in focus is that “Chinese companies are more implicated in North Korea today than they were before, so the Chinese could stand lose on that front if the US tightens sanctions.”

Since the universal security parameters have also shifted. The fourth de-facto nuclear state is about to appear on the globe. Whilst the introduction of WMDs in any region is not only matter of pride for that state, it also initiates deterrence equation for rest of the states. In the wake, one must keep in view the historical antagonistic evidences of European and south Asian quest for nuclear weapons sequentially to create regional deterrence. The North Korea test already led South Korea to go for WMDs in line to create symmetry in nuclear deterrence equation among them. Since the South Korea wants a nuclear free Korean Peninsula; it is largely upset and could view the test as an aggressive message to its new leadership; President Park Geun-hye.

Last but not the least, the Feb 12, 2013, detonation formed problematic position for Pakistan as well when the Times of India quoted an unnamed Indian government official by narrating, “when you talk about any nuclear test conducted by North Korea, the role of Pakistan can never be far behind.” In other words, the Indian media strived to malign Pakistan by accusing its associations to North Korea due to the recent uranium based detonation. Ironically, India must not forget that North Korea previous both tests were plutonium based for which fingers could be pointed to India as well. Anyhow, Pakistan Foreign Minister verified instantaneously that “all countries should comply with international obligations,” and also that “Pakistan supports a nuclear weapon free peninsula as agreed by all parties in the framework Agreement in 1994.”

The flying-up apprehensions around the globe is that why North Korea speeded up its nuclear detonations? The answer to the question can be wrapped up in the findings primed by John Hemmings who is a Research Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, that “North Korea in order to gain its importance wants; regime survival, acceptance as a nuclear power by the US, a peace treaty between the US and North Korea, trade and economic growth on their terms, and Korean unification under Pyongyang’s benign rule.”

Sarcastically, the test also raised attention-grabbing queries on the proliferation front. Summing up, the blast gives quite clear message to the international non-proliferation regime and perhaps undermines the disarmament efforts globally. Whatsoever, it not only defies the nuclear abolitionists’ demands, but also increases the probability of nuclear weapons horizontal proliferation in the region. Consequently, threatens to undermine an already fragile security situation in the region too.


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