In early January 2016, front pages around the world carried numerous stories on Pyongyang’s hydrogen bomb test. The flurry of comments that followed the DPRK’s announcement that it had conducted a “hydrogen bomb test” highlighted several major issues, namely: the unpredictable nature of Kim Jong Un’s regime; the unanimous condemnation of Pyongyang for the provocative act and subsequent calls for punishment; doubts as to whether the tested device was really a thermonuclear one; and, finally, a fear of conflict escalation and a worry that the North Korean regime could provoke a war.
THE NORTH KOREANS’ MOTIVES
In early January 2016, front pages around the world carried numerous stories on Pyongyang’s hydrogen bomb test. The flurry of comments that followed the DPRK’s announcement that it had conducted a “hydrogen bomb test” highlighted several major issues, namely: the unpredictable nature of Kim Jong Un’s regime; the unanimous condemnation of Pyongyang for the provocative act and subsequent calls for punishment; doubts as to whether the tested device was really a thermonuclear one; and, finally, a fear of conflict escalation and a worry that the North Korean regime could provoke a war.
THE NORTH KOREANS’ MOTIVES
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