NORTH KOREAVS.

THE WORLD The Communist country and its unpredictable leader continue to spark

outrage around the globe by testing nuclear weapons. Can its nuclear program be stopped before it’s too late? BY REBECCA ZISSOU

FIFTEEN-YEAR-OLD Joseph

Kim was living on the streets

of Hoeryong, North Korea. He

was alone and afraid. His father had

died of starvation years earlier. His

mother and sister had disappeared

without a trace. Instead of going to

school, Joseph spent his days looking

for food or working odd jobs.

Joseph feared that he would not

be able to survive for much longer in

North Korea. So he decided to flee

the country. He knew that if he were

caught trying to leave without the

government’s permission, he could

be arrested or put to death. But he

had to try.

“I knew the journey would be

risky, but I would be risking my life

either way,” Joseph later said. “I

could die of starvation like my father

in North Korea, or at least I could try

for a better life by escaping to China.”

So in the middle of winter, Joseph

made his move. Careful to avoid

armed border guards, he ran across

the frozen Tumen River into China.

Months later, he was able to con-

nect with an aid group. It helped

him move to the United States as a

refugee. Today, 10 years later, he is

a college student in New York.

unpredictable. Last September, he

defied the world by testing a nuclear

bomb. It was the nation’s fifth and

most powerful underground

nuclear test. The test sparked wide-

spread criticism. Then, in a speech

on January 1, Kim said his country

was preparing to run its first test of

a long-range missile, which could

reach the U.S. (The next day, weeks

before he was inaugurated, Donald

Trump dismissed that claim. He

tweeted, “It won’t happen!” One of

his spokespersons later said the

remark was meant as a warning.)

National security experts say

North Korea’s nuclear program is a

serious threat to the U.S. and its

allies in Asia, particularly South

Korea and Japan. A single nuclear

bomb could wipe out an entire city

and kill millions of people. Nine

countries, including the U.S., pos-

sess nuclear weapons. But

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GO TO JUNIOR.SCHOLASTIC.COM TO: Download Skills Sheets // View Leveled Text // Watch a Video6 FEBRUARY 20, 2017

NORTH KOREA’S LATEST NUCLEAR TEST

“SHOULD BE AN URGENT WAKE-UP CALL.”

In recent years, tens of thousands

of people like Joseph have escaped

from North Korea. The nation is one

of the most isolated places on Earth.

Its 25 million citizens are cut off

from the outside world. They have

few rights and freedoms.

The country’s young ruler, Kim

Jong Un, is very aggressive and

Kim Jong Un (in white) inherited control of

North Korea in 2011.

North Korea tested an intermediate-range

missile last summer.

Women collect weeds to eat in the town of Jung Pyong Ri.

8 FEBRUARY 20, 2017

North Korea is the only one to have

tested them in the 21st century.

In response to the latest nuclear

test, the United Nations (U.N.)

imposed more sanctions against

North Korea. It hopes that further

weakening the country’s economy

will keep North Korea from being

able to pay for its nuclear program.

Beatrice Fihn of the International

Campaign to Abolish Nuclear

Weapons says the world needs to

act now to keep Kim from expand-

ing his nuclear program. She is also

pushing world leaders to outlaw

nuclear weapons altogether.

“It’s beyond time that the interna-

tional community banned the very

worst weapons of mass destruction,”

she says. North Korea’s latest test

“should be an urgent wake-up call.”

Decades of ConflictNorth Korea has a troubled history

with the U.S. and with its neighbors

in Asia. Tensions go back to the end

of World War II. In 1945, the Korean

Peninsula, which had been occupied

by Japan since 1910, was divided

into two zones.

The North was led by Kim Il Sung

(Kim Jong Un’s grandfather). He set

up a Communist government

backed by the Soviet Union and

China. (Under Communism, the

government owns all land and busi-

nesses, and individual freedom is

limited.) South Korea became a

democracy and a key U.S. ally.

In 1950, North Korea invaded the

South, starting the Korean War. An

international coalition led by the U.S.

came to the South’s defense. In 1953,

both sides signed an armistice to

end the conflict. The agreement set

up a 2.5-mile-wide demilitarized

zone (DMZ) separating North and

South Korea at the 38th parallel. That

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is the line of latitude at 38 degrees

North. Decades later, the two nations

still have not signed a formal peace

treaty. They remain hostile.

Today, South Korea has the 13th-

largest economy in the world. It is

home to such successful brands as

Samsung and Hyundai. North Korea,

meanwhile, has become one of the

most restrictive regimes on Earth.

Life in North KoreaKim Jong Un’s family has ruled

North Korea for three generations,

keeping tight control over the

nation’s government and its people.

The country’s state-run economy

has struggled to provide enough food

for its citizens. In the 1990s, droughts

and floods contributed to a famine

that killed tens of thousands of peo-

ple. Many North Koreans, including

Joseph, had to eat weeds.

In 2011, Kim Jong Un—then in

his late 20s—inherited the dictator-

ship when his father, Kim Jong Il,

died. At the time, people hoped that

the new leader would improve rela-

tions with the world. But he has

proved to be just as ruthless as his

father and grand father. In 2013, Kim

even ordered the execution of his

uncle for allegedly plotting to over-

throw him.

Why might Kim Jong Un have been drawn as a kid playing with nuclear weapons?

Today, millions of North Koreans

live in poverty. Many homes lack

indoor plumbing and rely on fire-

places for heat. Shortages of water

and electricity are common.

Daily life is also strictly controlled.

Most ordinary citizens have little or

no access to the internet. TVs and

radios receive only government

channels. Homes are equipped with

speakers that blare state-sponsored

propaganda all day and can’t be

turned off. At school, kids are taught

to worship the Kims like gods. And

anyone who challenges the country’s

leaders can be sent to labor camps,

where some are worked to death.

Nuclear Ambitions At the same time, the government

spends billions of dollars maintain-

ing a massive army. About 1 million

people serve in the nation’s armed

forces. Elaborate military parades

often take place in the capital of

Pyongyang as a show of strength.

The country also pours huge sums

NORTH KOREA IS ONE OF THE MOST

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Pyongyang Wonsan

Korea Strait

JEJU-DO(S. KOREA)

TSUSHIMA(JAPAN)

JAPAN

East China Sea32°N

36°N

NORTHKOREA

Chongjin

Punggye-ri

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JUNIOR.SCHOLASTIC.COM 9

1. What is the capital of North Korea? of South Korea?

2. About how many miles separate those cities?

3. The two Koreas make up what type of landform?

4. In which direction would you travel to get from Hoeryong to Wonsan, North Korea?

5. What is the name of the area separating the two Koreas?

6. Which line of latitude is that area closest to?

7. What city is located at about 36°N, 129°E?

8. Which three seas border North and South Korea?

9. Which two rivers form part of the border between North Korea and China?

10. What is the approximate latitude and longitude of Punggye-ri, North Korea?

Map Skills

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The Korean Peninsula The two Koreas make up a landform called a peninsula,

an area of land bordered by water on three sides.

of money into developing nuclear

weapons and missiles. It sees them

as the only way to ensure its survival.

Some experts now say that North

Korea’s nuclear capabilities may be

more advanced than we think. The

U.S.-Korea Institute in Maryland

recently concluded that by 2020 the

North could build a nuclear-armed

missile able to strike the U.S.

Long Road AheadThe U.S. and the U.N. want to keep

North Korea from perfecting a

nuclear weapon. That is why they

have had sanctions in place for

years. Those penalties aim to limit

trade with North Korea and make it

harder for the country to fund

nuclear research. But sanctions

have also made life harder for ordi-

nary citizens. And so far, the

sanctions have not persuaded Kim

to give up his nuclear program.

After the latest nuclear test, the

U.S. and the U.N. passed new,

tougher sanctions. The U.S. also

plans to build a missile defense sys-

tem in South Korea. It would be able

to shoot down the North’s missiles.

President Trump has said he will

put economic pressure on China,

North Korea’s closest ally and trading

partner, to force it to rein in its neigh-

bor. He has also suggested that South

Korea and Japan do more to defend

themselves and rely less on the U.S.

Trump has also said he would meet

with Kim to try to convince him to

end his country’s nuclear program.

Some experts, however, doubt

that Kim will ever give up nuclear

weapons. Last fall, then-U.S. intelli-

gence director James Clapper said it

was “probably a lost cause.”

But Jenny Town of the U.S.-

Korea Institute is more hopeful.

She says resuming long-stalled

talks would be a step in the right

direction. Negotiating an end to

North Korea’s nuclear program is

sure to be “a long-term process,”

she says. “But it is possible.” ◆

PACIFICOCEAN

NORTH KOREAASIA

AUSTRALIA

U.S.

CORE QUESTION What are the U.S. and the U.N. doing to prevent North Korea from perfecting a powerful nuclear weapon?

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