Other
- +18
James M. Acton, Saskia Brechenmacher, Cecily Brewer, …
{
"authors": [
"James M. Acton"
],
"type": "legacyinthemedia",
"centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
"centers": [
"Carnegie Endowment for International Peace"
],
"collections": [
"U.S. Nuclear Policy",
"Korean Peninsula"
],
"englishNewsletterAll": "ctw",
"nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
"primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
"programAffiliation": "NPP",
"programs": [
"Nuclear Policy"
],
"projects": [],
"regions": [
"North America",
"United States",
"East Asia",
"South Korea",
"North Korea"
],
"topics": [
"Security",
"Nuclear Policy"
]
}
Source: Getty
In The Media
North Korea Tensions
Tensions with North Korea are rising as the United States strengthens its missile defense in response to threats.
Published on Apr 4, 2013
Source: CTV News
Tensions with North Korea are rising as the United States strengthens its missile defense in response to threats. Carnegie's James Acton talked to CTV News about the situation. He explained that what worries him is not that North Korea will launch a nuclear attack on the United States, but that the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, is going to do what his father, Kim Jong-il, did in 2010, which was to commit a provocation against South Korea when he ordered the sinking of a South Korean warship.
Acton pointed out that South Korea has said that if North Korea does something similar again it will retaliate, at which point North Korea is likely to strike back, and the United States will become involved because it has made defense commitments to South Korea. "The result of all of that could a dangerous, escalating conflict on the Korean Peninsula," said Acton, "and the use of nuclear weapons cannot be excluded."
"We don't know for certain whether North Korea has the capability to put warheads onto missiles. North Korea has certainly been claiming that it has, and it is plausible that it has, but we do not actually know," added Acton. " I wish that cooler heads will prevail over the next couple of weeks," Acton concluded, "but there's a possibility that we will be in for a very rough April."
About the Author
James M. Acton
Jessica T. Mathews Chair, Co-director, Nuclear Policy Program
Acton holds the Jessica T. Mathews Chair and is co-director of the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
- Unpacking Trump’s National Security Strategy
- Trump Has an Out on Nuclear Testing. He Should Take It.Commentary
James M. Acton
Recent Work
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
More Work from Carnegie China
- When It Comes to Superpower Geopolitics, Malaysia Is Staunchly NonpartisanCommentary
For Malaysia, the conjunction that works is “and” not “or” when it comes to the United States and China.
Elina Noor
- Today’s Rare Earths Conflict Echoes the 1973 Oil Crisis — But It’s Not the SameCommentary
Regulation, not embargo, allows Beijing to shape how other countries and firms adapt to its terms.
Alvin Camba
- China’s Mediation Offer in the Thailand-Cambodia Border Dispute Sheds Light on Beijing’s Security Role in Southeast AsiaCommentary
The Thai-Cambodian conflict highlights the limits to China's peacemaker ambition and the significance of this role on Southeast Asia’s balance of power.
Pongphisoot (Paul) Busbarat
- How to Predict China’s Economic Performance for 2025: A Sectoral ApproachCommentary
GDP growth means something fundamentally different in China than in most countries.
Michael Pettis
- China Is Determined to Hold Firm Against Trump’s PressureCommentary
Beijing believes that Washington is overestimating its own leverage and its ability to handle the trade war’s impacts.
Rick Waters, Sheena Chestnut Greitens
