Abstract
Tensions on the Korean Peninsula and the security situation of East Asia have been worsening more than ever. Particularly, North Korea’s long-range missile launch on February 7, 2016, and subsequent shutdown of the Kaesong Industrial Complex by the ROK government make the possibility of improving inter-Korean relations even more difficult. North Korea claims that the missile launch was a longrange rocket to put a remote-sensing satellite into orbit, but no country has received any signal transmitted from the satellite. The same was the case in 2012. North Korea has been giving no care to the expectations of the international community and UN sanctions, and continuously developing its nuclear and missile capabilities. Expressing its willingness to use extreme measures, the North raises security concerns not only to the ROK and its ally, the United States, but also to all regional countries. Deployment of THAAD in the ROK and UN sanctions will likely follow. Thus tensions in the region will continue for some time. Both the ROK and the United States are consistently developing tailored deterrence strategy in order to effectively deal with North Korea’s nuclear and missile threat. I would like to introduce a special article that has succinctly put together the background of the issue and key points with authority. I would like to extend my gratitude to Dr. Brad Roberts for agreeing to contribute this valuable article to our journal.
Read the article online here (scroll down to No. 2 for full text).