Is North Korea about to test a nuke?

North Korea, the forgotten third member of the Axis of Evil, may soon bump the other two members off the front page by testing a nuclear bomb. So, what happens if Kim Jong-Il crosses this red-line? Probably nothing much. No one is going to attack North Korea thanks to its deterrent. There’s no convenient colonel lurking in the wings. And sanctions bite ...

607285_KimJongIl.thumbnail5.jpg
607285_KimJongIl.thumbnail5.jpg

North Korea, the forgotten third member of the Axis of Evil, may soon bump the other two members off the front page by testing a nuclear bomb.

North Korea, the forgotten third member of the Axis of Evil, may soon bump the other two members off the front page by testing a nuclear bomb.

So, what happens if Kim Jong-Il crosses this red-line? Probably nothing much. No one is going to attack North Korea thanks to its deterrent. There’s no convenient colonel lurking in the wings. And sanctions bite less on a hermit state than elsewhere.

In recent times, Washington has argued that restraining North Korea is China’s job. But, as The Economist points out, China has tried to rein Kim in with little effect. There are even unconfirmed reports that the vertically challenged dictator is currently in China. The Chinese know that if Kim goes ahead with a test, the odds on Japan revising article 9 of its constitution will shorten dramatically. Consider that after the missile test in July, Koizumi’s likely successor suggested that pre-emption might be permissible, even under article 9, as an act of self-defense.

James Forsyth is assistant editor at Foreign Policy.

More from Foreign Policy

Children are hooked up to IV drips on the stairs at a children's hospital in Beijing.
Children are hooked up to IV drips on the stairs at a children's hospital in Beijing.

Chinese Hospitals Are Housing Another Deadly Outbreak

Authorities are covering up the spread of antibiotic-resistant pneumonia.

Henry Kissinger during an interview in Washington in August 1980.
Henry Kissinger during an interview in Washington in August 1980.

Henry Kissinger, Colossus on the World Stage

The late statesman was a master of realpolitik—whom some regarded as a war criminal.

A Ukrainian soldier in helmet and fatigues holds a cell phone and looks up at the night sky as an explosion lights up the horizon behind him.
A Ukrainian soldier in helmet and fatigues holds a cell phone and looks up at the night sky as an explosion lights up the horizon behind him.

The West’s False Choice in Ukraine

The crossroads is not between war and compromise, but between victory and defeat.

Illustrated portraits of Reps. MIke Gallagher, right, and Raja Krishnamoorthi
Illustrated portraits of Reps. MIke Gallagher, right, and Raja Krishnamoorthi

The Masterminds

Washington wants to get tough on China, and the leaders of the House China Committee are in the driver’s seat.