By Yi Whan-woo
North Korea will likely use the United Nations' adoption of a resolution against its regime's human rights abuses as an excuse to accelerate its efforts toward nuclear development and to conduct missile tests, experts said Thursday.
However, they said the reclusive state's threat of such tests could be "verbal," as China and Russia, Pyongyang's two allies on the U.N. Security Council (UNSC), were likely to veto any move against the North.
"North Korea could capitalize on the U.N. resolution as a chance to carry out nuclear and missile tests, said Paik Hak-soon, director of the Center for North Korean Studies at the Sejong Institute, a policy think tank.
"Pyongyang has deemed the U.S. was behind the U.N.'s human rights move as a means to pressure it to destabilize and collapse. The reclusive state now has a good excuse to further develop nuclear weapons for self-defense," he said.
Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies, voiced a similar view.
"Pyongyang will be more geared toward enhancing its military deterrence," he said.
Paik and Yang referred to Pyongyang's announcement on Thursday in response to the U.N.'s move that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un be prosecuted at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, the Netherlands, for state-perpetrated human rights violations.
The North's foreign ministry said the country "strongly rejects the U.S.-led decision on the resolution."
A total of 111 countries, including the U.S., European Union members, South Korea and Japan, voted in favor of the resolution at the U.N. General Assembly's human right committee in New York City, Wednesday (KST). The resolution requests the UNSC to refer Kim to the ICC.
Nineteen countries, including China and Russia voted against the resolution and 55 abstained.
"We've offered to cooperate with the international community on human rights issues and the U.S. turned down our efforts," Pyongyang's foreign ministry said in a statement carried by the state-controlled Korean Central News Agency (KNCA).
"We believe the U.S. is exploiting human rights issues as a means to intervene forcibly in our domestic affairs.
"Such hostility of the U.S. is intolerable to us. In carrying out new nuclear tests, our efforts for war deterrence will be enforced without limits."
According to Paik and Yang, if North Korea conducts a nuclear test, it will need to consult closely with China and Russia, which are also concerned about regional security.
"Pyongyang is fully aware that such a test would embarrass Beijing and Moscow," Paik said.
Yang said, "The North's reaction is likely to be verbal. It will take into consideration that China and Russia will protect it at the UNSC."
The two experts were divided over Pyongyang's efforts to rebuild the country in the wake of the U.N. resolution.
The impoverished regime recently has been trying to attract foreign investment. For instance, it opened the Chong Tourist Development Zone in North Pyongyang Province on Oct. 30.
"North Korea takes the U.S resolution as a blow to its regime and it will put priority on national security over the economy for the time being," Paik said. "It will continue to make threats regarding a nuclear test although such a move would drive foreign investors away."
Yang said, "North Korea has a separate approach in terms of military issues and the economy. The U.N. resolution will have little impact on its efforts to boost economy."
Yang added that North Korea could allow U.N. envoys to inspect its human rights situation if China and Russia veto the U.N. resolution.
North Korea will likely use the United Nations' adoption of a resolution against its regime's human rights abuses as an excuse to accelerate its efforts toward nuclear development and to conduct missile tests, experts said Thursday.
However, they said the reclusive state's threat of such tests could be "verbal," as China and Russia, Pyongyang's two allies on the U.N. Security Council (UNSC), were likely to veto any move against the North.
"North Korea could capitalize on the U.N. resolution as a chance to carry out nuclear and missile tests, said Paik Hak-soon, director of the Center for North Korean Studies at the Sejong Institute, a policy think tank.
"Pyongyang has deemed the U.S. was behind the U.N.'s human rights move as a means to pressure it to destabilize and collapse. The reclusive state now has a good excuse to further develop nuclear weapons for self-defense," he said.
Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies, voiced a similar view.
"Pyongyang will be more geared toward enhancing its military deterrence," he said.
Paik and Yang referred to Pyongyang's announcement on Thursday in response to the U.N.'s move that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un be prosecuted at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, the Netherlands, for state-perpetrated human rights violations.
The North's foreign ministry said the country "strongly rejects the U.S.-led decision on the resolution."
A total of 111 countries, including the U.S., European Union members, South Korea and Japan, voted in favor of the resolution at the U.N. General Assembly's human right committee in New York City, Wednesday (KST). The resolution requests the UNSC to refer Kim to the ICC.
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Nineteen countries, including China and Russia voted against the resolution and 55 abstained.
"We've offered to cooperate with the international community on human rights issues and the U.S. turned down our efforts," Pyongyang's foreign ministry said in a statement carried by the state-controlled Korean Central News Agency (KNCA).
"We believe the U.S. is exploiting human rights issues as a means to intervene forcibly in our domestic affairs.
"Such hostility of the U.S. is intolerable to us. In carrying out new nuclear tests, our efforts for war deterrence will be enforced without limits."
According to Paik and Yang, if North Korea conducts a nuclear test, it will need to consult closely with China and Russia, which are also concerned about regional security.
"Pyongyang is fully aware that such a test would embarrass Beijing and Moscow," Paik said.
Yang said, "The North's reaction is likely to be verbal. It will take into consideration that China and Russia will protect it at the UNSC."
The two experts were divided over Pyongyang's efforts to rebuild the country in the wake of the U.N. resolution.
The impoverished regime recently has been trying to attract foreign investment. For instance, it opened the Chong Tourist Development Zone in North Pyongyang Province on Oct. 30.
"North Korea takes the U.S resolution as a blow to its regime and it will put priority on national security over the economy for the time being," Paik said. "It will continue to make threats regarding a nuclear test although such a move would drive foreign investors away."
Yang said, "North Korea has a separate approach in terms of military issues and the economy. The U.N. resolution will have little impact on its efforts to boost economy."
Yang added that North Korea could allow U.N. envoys to inspect its human rights situation if China and Russia veto the U.N. resolution.
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