THE IMPACT OF NORTH KOREA’S NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAM ON ITS ECONOMY AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has undertaken a broad range of activities over the years that has drawn mass international attention and criticism, especially towards their nuclear weapons program and testing. Under the succession of the Kims, North Korea views these nuclear weapons as the sole means of survival due to their worries of abandonment from their superpower allies as seen in the past and of being threatened by opposing military forces surrounding its territory. After witnessing the losses of political power in countries such as Ukraine, Iraq, and Libya due to their disarmament and surrender of nuclear weapons, the current leader Kim Jong-un views the nuclear weapons like an insurance policy - theoretically, these nuclear weapons guarantee North Korean security against other nations. The research paper seeks to look more in depth of how these nuclear weapons have caused some issues and crises in DPRK, impacting much of their systems and regional stability. The paper goes into an overview of the evolutionary stages of North Korea's nuclear developments and allows the readers to discover how DPRK's constant pursuits of nuclear power changed their foreign policies, relations with other countries, and regional economic status due to the sanctions imposed by the international community, all three of which were triggered by North Korea's nuclear tests and missile launches. The analysis of the historical, economic, socio-political, and international dimensions of North Korea's nuclear program is clearly shown in the research paper, bringing comprehensive understanding to its impacts, and shedding light of North Korea's actions in global politics.