Skip to main content

NORTH KOREA: What Is At Stake?


It is not unusual for North Korea to be in the news. This highly-armed Stalinist state rattles the sabres from time to time. There are warnings, sanctions, negotiations, and then things go quiet.

Yet the current crisis is different - and more dangerous - than anything we have seen before. It has been said, with reason, that the stand-off with North Korea is the biggest confrontation since US President John F. Kennedy faced off Nikita Krushchev of the Soviet Union in the October 1962 Cuban missile crisis. This was probably the largest and most dangerous incident in the entire Cold War.

As a refresher, the Soviet Union placed nuclear-tipped missiles in Cuba, which is only 140 kilometres off the US coast. This was simply too close for comfort. President Kennedy solemnly warned that if the missiles were not removed, America would invade Cuba. For 13 days the world held its breath. It was the closest thing we have seen of Armageddon in living memory. Being a rational player, the Soviets negotiated a face-saving solution: America promised not to invade Cuba, the Soviets would take its missiles and America removed its missiles from Turkey, a Soviet neighbour. The crisis came to a peaceful end.

So why is this crisis different than the others?

Long-ranged missiles: First, North Korea is more advanced in her nuclear weapons program. She has bombs and is working tirelessly to make more. In addition, North Korea is developing long-range missiles which can deliver a nuclear bomb. It is one thing to have short-ranged missiles that can target South Korea or Japan. Yet it is another to have missiles that can reach Guam, Alaska, possibly the US mainland and even Darwin, Australia. The risk of a rogue state having that kind of capability is simply too much to bear.

The Trump factor: Second, the United States under President Donald Trump is taking a whole new approach. Instead of practicing ‘strategic patience,’ as earlier administrations have done, Trump says the time of patience is over. He has spoken of the possibility of military action, even pre-emptively, if necessary, to stop North Korea from advancing its nuclear and missile program.

ANZUS: Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has invoked the ANZUS Treaty, with the support of Opposition Leader Bill Shorten. Formed in the 1950s, ANZUS (Australia, New Zealand, and the US) means that if one ally is attacked, the others will come to its defence. The only other time ANZUS was triggered was in 2001 by former Prime Minister John Howard just after the September 11th terrorist attacks. This means that if America goes to war, Australia goes with it.

China: To add to the mix, China has weighed into the fray. As a neighbour to North Korea, they have a great stake in stability. Yet they have given this warning: if North Korea attacks the United States, they will remain neutral. If America attacks first, they will stop them. Let’s not forget that during the Korean War of 1950, that Mao Zedong sent Chinese troops to North Korea. They like having a buffer state and do not want North Korean refugees flooding its border.

North Korea leader Kim Jong Un has said he will retaliate with fire and fury if he is attacked. There is no reason to doubt his threats. He is also armed to the teeth and can cause much damage to countries, near and far.

So what can be done? Negotiations are always the best option. Yet this is not easy, considering that the US does not have diplomatic relations with the North and South Korea is not even on speaking terms with its neighbour. A second option are sanctions, which are already in place. These methods may work and no blood will be spilled in the process. The military option needs to be available but as a very, very, very last resort - when no other way will work. The threat of a massive military response sometimes is the only language a dictator will understand, especially since the goal of North Korea is ‘regime-survival.’

Prayer power: Yet, as has been pointed out in an earlier article, believers have a powerful weapon the world knows little about: faith and prayer. South Korea has become up to one-third Christian in just a couple of generations. The Korean church is growing; indeed, some of the largest churches in the world are found there. It is also a praying church. Dozens of ‘prayer mountains’ dot the landscape. People take their 2 week annual leave to pray and fast at a prayer mountain. Consider this: Despite the highly-armed, bellicose, and belligerent nature of the North Korean regime, there has not been armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula since 1953. How is this possible? It should be obvious. The prayer of the saints makes a massive difference.

What is at stake in the North Korean crisis? Either a peaceful resolution or chaos. Never underestimate the power of prayer. As The Weekend Australian said in a editorial: for those Australians who believe in the power a prayer, now is the time to get busy.


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Israel at War: What Does It Mean For Us All?

  It started off as a quiet morning, which it should have been considering it was the sabbath day and the end of the high holy days. These days include a time of communal fasting on the Day of Atonement, known as Yom Kippur. Then from fasting, the Jewish people go to the festive ‘Simchat Torah,’ rejoicing in the law. There is dancing and celebrating in the synagogues because God gave the law to Moses ( Note : why don’t believers in Jesus match Jewish enthusiasm for the law? See Philippians 4:4 ). Around 6:00 AM on Saturday, October 7, 2023, a surprise attack was launched against southern Israel. The invader was the Hamas regime which rules the highly-populated Palestinian coastal enclave known as the Gaza Strip. The invaders attacked by land, air (hang gliders), and sea, while thousands of rockets rained down on the Jewish state. Once invaded, Hamas targeted the Israeli communities near the Strip. They raided homes, butchered men, women, and children, beheaded babies and kidnapped many

Taming the Tiger: Lessons We Can Learn from the Trials of Tiger Woods

He may be the world’s greatest and richest golfer. He may have charmed Australia during his recent tournament visit, which the Herald Sun said that he was welcomed back anytime. Then came the car crash, the rumors, followed by a parade of girlfriends coming out of the woodwork. The revelations did not come as a drip-drip but more like a deluge. Tiger Woods, with that big winning smile, winning swing, and clean-cut family friendly image had been revealed as a serial adulterer. You don’t even have to have an interest in golf to know that Tiger Woods was a golfing winner -- but now he looks like a humiliated loser on the home front. He may have gained the whole world but lost his marriage. Apart from being fodder for late night talkshow hosts and some humorous headlines like: Tiger or Cheetah? Tiger Shows His True Stripes Too Crowded in Tiger’s Lair Lust in the Woods Some incredibly serious issue emerge. CELEBRITY STATUS : Society is enamoured with celebrities and success; in m

Israel at War: How to Pray

War is serious business and when it is in the Middle East, the stakes are very high. Its central location, oil reserves, long history and various theologies, and inter-connectedness with the rest of the world, mean that conflict can affect everyone. If the world were a stick of dynamite, the Middle East would be the fuse. Despite the dire challenges there is great hope. Never forget this reality: prayer is far more powerful than military might. Bowls in heaven are filled with the prayers, praise, worship, and thanksgiving of the saints (Revelation 5:8). The more you fill those heavenly bowls, the more there will be an overflow that will rain blessings on the earth. People of faith and goodwill want to pray about the current, and future, crises in the Middle East. This short essay will give you some prayer points BACKGROUND Here are a few things to consider before you pray: Arabs and Jews are cousins and neighbours. Historically they had harmonious relations and, by God’s grace, they ca