Pyongyang's Defiance Leads Allies to Tough Decision

In recent news, Pyongyang indicated that it would be launching a "satelite." Nations around the communist country believe differently. They feel that it is a reach for its claim to use long-range missles capable of targeting the Alaskan coast and possible the Western Coast. This poses a direct problem for the American Allies in the Asia sector.

How does this do so? In 2006, the United Nation's Security Council imposed sanctions on Pyongyang (S/RES/1695) :

Acting under its special responsibility for the maintenance of international
peace and security,
1. Condemns the multiple launches by the DPRK of ballistic missiles on
5 July 2006 local time;
2. Demands that the DPRK suspend all activities related to its ballistic
missile programme, and in this context re-establish its pre-existing commitments to
a moratorium on missile launching;
3. Requires all Member States, in accordance with their national legal
authorities and legislation and consistent with international law, to exercise
vigilance and prevent missile and missile-related items, materials, goods and
technology being transferred to DPRK’s missile or WMD programmes;
4. Requires all Member States, in accordance with their national legal
authorities and legislation and consistent with international law, to exercise
vigilance and prevent the procurement of missiles or missile related-items,
materials, goods and technology from the DPRK, and the transfer of any financial
resources in relation to DPRK’s missile or WMD programmes;
5. Underlines, in particular to the DPRK, the need to show restraint and
refrain from any action that might aggravate tension, and to continue to work on the
resolution of non-proliferation concerns through political and diplomatic efforts;
6. Strongly urges the DPRK to return immediately to the Six-Party Talks
without precondition, to work towards the expeditious implementation of
19 September 2005 Joint Statement, in particular to abandon all nuclear weapons
and existing nuclear programmes, and to return at an early date to the Treaty on
Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and International Atomic Energy Agency
safeguards;
7. Supports the six-party talks, calls for their early resumption, and urges all
the participants to intensify their efforts on the full implementation of the
19 September 2005 Joint Statement with a view to achieving the verifiable
denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in a peaceful manner and to maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in north-east Asia;

In circumspect, the Security Council's decision on these matters were highly prevalent in society and tended to carry significant weight, yet the problem remains that because of diverging ideologies and politics, the whole of the Security Council has diminished in popularity and overall power. Noting that any resolution passed by the Council has weight and carry significant penalties for a sanction, is in the best interest of the world countries fighting for democratic values (a later discussion on democratic regiems). Neverthless, Pyongyang's defiance is a complicated issue for the allies. This problem stems from Pyongyang's wish to gain dominance in nuclear technology, just like Iran, and only pushes the NPT (Non-Proliferation Treaty) signees and advocats spinning. The conceptualization of dominance in nuclear proliferation is easily understood. If a boy is constantly bullied, there are two options (1) do nothing and resent it later or (2) defy everything and everyone and become a person not to be challenged.

Japan already issued a military order to shoot on sight if any materials fall into Japanese airspace. The overarching goal is to shoot down the entire launch program, since it completely violates the UN S/RES/1695 to begin with. Pyongyang, under the leadership of Kim Jong Il, has masterfully propelled the world into a defensive position, one in which the United States cannot afford to do. The problem the Allies will have is to get other partners to push Pyongyang to seeking peace and return to the NPT. Moreover, it will be inheriently difficult to allow Pyongyang's move to go unpunished and may cause serious backlashes on the Obama Administration's stance on meeting with leader without preconditions.