Key Aspects of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty

What are the three pillars of the NPT?

a) No acquisition, No Transfer of nuclear weapons

b) Nuclear-weapon-states guarantee non-nuclear-weapon states’ peaceful use of nuclear energy as an inalienable right of all states (Art IV, V).

c) Nuclear-weapon-states undertake to pursue negotiations in good faith on nuclear disarmament (Art. VI).

Briefly explain the “Safeguards Agreement”

The Safeguards Agreement serves to allow the IAEA the authority to verify the fulfilment of a concerned country’s obligation under the NPT with a view to preventing diversion of nuclear energy from peaceful uses to nuclear weapons.

What is the criterion to distinguish between the legitimate nuclear-weapon states and the non-nuclear-weapon states under the NPT?

Non-nuclear-weapon states commit:

a) not to receive, manufacture or acquire nuclear weapons or control over such weapons (Art. II).

b) to begin the negotiation for safeguards agreement on the date of accession to the NPT.

c) to conclude safeguards agreement within 18 months from the beginning of the negotiation (Art. III, para 4).

Nuclear-weapon-states commit not to transfer to any recipients any nuclear weapons or control over such weapons (Art. I).

Why the International community should not tolerate North Korea’s nuclear program?

The International community should not tolerate North Korea’s nuclear program because of:

• Serious violations of international law:
• a) violation of the NPT and Safeguards Agreement.
• b) withdrawal from the treaty does not rectify the illegality of any acts.
• c) violation of a series of UNSC resolutions.
• d) violation of the “Joint Declaration of the Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula” of 1992.
• e) violation of the “Agreed Framework” of 1994.
• f) violation of a series of agreements made at the Six-party Talks.
• Serious threat to international peace and security
• a) a threat to NPT regime itself: the only case to have withdrawn from the Treaty.
• b) UN Security Council determined N. Korea’s nuclear test as “threat to the peace, breaches of the peace” by adopting the sanction resolutions under Chapter VII.

Explain the core elements of the Agreed Framework concluded between the U.S. and North Korea in 1994. (in not more than 100 words)

In the Agreed Framework, North Korea agrees: to freeze and eventually eliminate its nuclear facilities; to allow the IAEA to verify compliance through “special inspections” and to allow 8,000 spent fuel rods to be removed to a third country. Meanwhile, The U.S. agrees to organize the KEDO (Korean Energy Development Organization) to build two light-water nuclear reactors (LWRs) in North Korea and to provide North Korea with 500,000 tons of heavy fuel oil annually during construction of the reactors. The U.S and North Korea would pursue normalization of their relations.

With S. Korea economic development, the relations between S. Korea and USA are said to have changed from patron - client to a partnership. Explain this change in more than 100 words

South Korea and the United States: From dependency to partnership -The ROK/U.S. relations began as patron-client after the Korean War with the U.S. providing large amount of economic & military aid. With S. Korea’s economic development, it is transitioning to a partnership: a) S. Korea gradually took over a greater share of its defense burden. b) S. Korea has significantly contributed to the U.S. operations abroad. c) S. Korea strongly supported the U.S. initiative by hosting the 2012 Nuclear Security Summit and the 2013 Seoul Conference on Cyberspace etc. d) S. Korea is actively participating in the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) and the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism (GICNT), both initiated by the U.S. - U.S. leaders are often referring to the ROK/US alliance as a “linchpin” for security in the Asia-Pacific region.