The North Koreans dislike the Americans or the Westerners. The main reason behind the hatred is America’s indiscriminate bombing in the Korean War. Nearly 100 percent of the North Korean infrastructures were destroyed during the war. Sometimes, American bombers in North Korea dropped bombs in the sea for the lack of suitable targets or dropped bombs on roads or on railroads. All the bridges and culverts in North Korea were destroyed.
The main goal of the ruling elites in North Korea is to stay in power. If there is a war with the United States, they will lose their hold on power. North Korea’s biggest ally is neighboring China. North Korea is dependent on China in Many ways. So, to get involved in a nuclear war, North Korea must consider Beijing’s interests.
The United States is the most powerful country on Earth in terms of military power. The US also has a robust nuclear capability. It maintains all three legs of the nuclear triad, meaning America has nuclear-armed submarines which are patrolling underwater realm all the time, land-based Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) and nuclear-capable bomber force. Washington can reduce the whole of North Korea to rubbles if a nuclear war breaks out between the two countries. However, the main purposes of American nuclear weapons are to enforce nuclear deterrence and prevent war.
So, North Korea will not deliberately attack any nuclear-armed country including the United States. Nevertheless, miscalculations, accidents, unwanted encounters, fear or misinformation sometimes lead to unintended war. Kim Jong-un knows he will be dead if he attacks another nuclear power. President Ronald Reagan on one occasion said, “Nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought. The only value in our two nations possessing nuclear weapons is to make sure they will never be used.” North Korean missile and nuclear program are for self-defense. Nuclear weapons are inherently defensive in nature for their unimaginable destructive power. In a nuclear war, no one wins; everyone loses. Kim and his generals understand very well that they cannot win a nuclear war against a nuclear adversary. So, North Korea will never use its nuclear weapons against the US.
Md. Aslam Hossain is a part-time senior editor of The Geopolitics. He is also an entrepreneur. He has earned his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in International Relations. His focus is on geopolitics and security.
