1. Preparing for the worst: Was North Korea’s decision to develop nuclear weapons rational?
- Author:
- Sanghoon Kim
- Publication Date:
- 04-2020
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Pacific Forum
- Abstract:
- North Korea’s foreign policy decision-making procedure is highly centralized to a single leader or, at most, a few political/military elites. While democratic governments are restrained both horizontally and vertically, authoritarian regimes are relatively free of constraints from the public. This paper examines the motivations behind North Korea’s nuclear weapons development in light of the rational deterrence model, then discusses the strategic implications of a rational, or irrational, North Korea. It concludes that North Korea’s decision to develop nuclear weapons was rationally motivated by the deteriorating security environment surrounding the state, but that this will not guarantee deterrence.
- Topic:
- Nuclear Weapons, Authoritarianism, Deterrence, Denuclearization, and Rationality
- Political Geography:
- South Korea, North Korea, and Korean Peninsula