Understanding the Threat of a Nuclear North Korea

Why Pyongyang's announcement makes the region uneasy

Monday, May 25, 2009

Stream m3u

North Korea says it carried out an underground nuclear test, prompting widespread international concern. Pyongyang says the device that it detonated was more powerful than a previous one tested in 2006. Meanwhile, a news agency in South Korea says the country also test-fired a total of three short-range missiles. The Takeaway is joined by Dr. Jim Walsh, a specialist in international security and a research associate at the M.I.T's Securities Studies Program.
"Normally we would have thought of this as bargaining behavior, but North Korea is trying to create a crisis to improve their leverage going into a negotiation."
—MIT Security Studies Professor Jim Walsh on North Korea's motivation to test nuclear missiles

Guests:

Jim Walsh

Hosted by:

Farai Chideya and Katherine Lanpher

Contributors:

Stephanie Hughes

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