In one of the articles I read, North Korea spoke in a very aggressive tone to South Korea about their growing nuclear arsenal. North Korea threatened to annihilate South Korea after one of the South’s high ranking officials said that he would consider attacking the communist nation if tried to carry out a nuclear attack. The response from the North was hostile and an unidentified KCNA military commentator said “Our military will not sit idle until warmongers launch a pre-emptive strike, everything will be in ashes, not just a sea of fire, if our advanced pre-emptive strike begins.” Shortly after, North Korea fired a salvo of short range nuclear missile into the sea threatening to “mercilessly wipe out” any South Korean warships that violate the sea border. North Korea also banned any South Korean officials from entering the border.
In my opinion, the problem lies in the fact that both the governments of North and South Korea don’t want to be the first to give in to the pressure put on them by the other. If one North Korea gives into the pressure and reunites with the South, this will invalidate all the threats and aggressive gestures it cast on the South. Kim Jung Il will look like a fool, and nobody wants to be in a position like that.
