North Korea Says It Seeks to Develop Nuclear Arms

North Korea is a step closer to its goal of becoming a nuclear state, as it announced for the first time that it would develop nuclear weapons. This is at a time when the U.S. has organized some of its Pacific allies to track and inspect North Korean ships for weapons, drugs, and other illegal shipment. The question right now is what other countries should do once Pyongyang officially announces its possession of nuclear weapons. The U.S. has not eliminated the option of military attacks on the North's nuclear facilities, but Seoul has declared that "a strike would be unthinkable." This is also the first time that the North has connected its nuclear programs to the reduction of its armed forces, which are hardly affordable for the regime. – YaleGlobal