By Yi Whan-woo
North Korea’s nuclear threat is emerging as a key issue for the U.S. presidential election, after its latest nuclear test showed that it is making advances faster than expected to achieve the capability of striking the U.S. mainland.
Both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have condemned Pyongyang for carrying out its fifth nuclear test on Sept. 9. The candidates have also attempted to discredit each other’s ability to prevent North Korean leader Kim Jong-un from continuing to pursue weapons of mass destruction.
Previously, North Korea did not receive much attention in U.S. presidential elections, compared to wars and terrorist attacks linked to ISIS in the Middle East and Europe.
However, the next U.S. administration will have to put more emphasis on Pyongyang’s nuclear program in handling international security threats, as Barack Obama’s policy of “strategic patience” for North Korea is fading, analysts said.
“This administration is handing over what’s shaping up to be the top national security problem for the next administration, whether it’s Clinton or Trump,” said Victor Cha, Korea chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
Citing CSIS data, Cha said the new U.S. president will be dealing with Pyongyang sooner rather than later.
“You can be certain they will do something when the next president comes in, Cha said. “There’s a window before and after U.S. presidential elections where they’ve done things before, so they’ll be putting themselves front and center and neither candidate has really said much about what they’ll do.”
Pyongyang’s fifth nuclear test is estimated to have had the explosive power of 10 kilotons, which is almost double the yield of the previous test on Jan. 6.
Trump said such a test is “just one more massive failure from a failed secretary of state,” citing Clinton’s term in the post from 2009 to 2013 under the Obama administration.
The Republican nominee also pointed out that all North Korean nuclear tests, except for the first one in 2006, took place since Clinton became secretary of state.
Clinton did not respond. Yet, she said she opposes an increase in nuclear states in what was seen as a criticism of Trump’s suggestion for preventing North Korea’s nuclear ambitions.
In March, Trump said he may allow nuclear armament of South Korea and Japan for self-defense.
Clinton said that the U.S. needs “a president committed to reducing, not increasing, the number of nuclear weapons and nuclear states in the world.”
She said, “More countries with nuclear weapons in Northeast Asia would increase the chances of the unthinkable happening.”
The Democratic candidate also said she supports Obama’s calls for harsher measures against the Kim regime in addition to the current sanctions.
Experts said Clinton and Trump are likely to underscore contrasting strategies to denuclearize North Korea in their campaign trails.
Clinton has been advocating the Obama administration’s support for international alliances to press the Kim regime harder as well as its demand for North Korea’s denuclearization as a prerequisite for any dialogues.
Trump said he is willing to meet Kim although he previously suggested assassinating the young dictator.
Meanwhile, a U.S. expert said North Korea could carry out at least three additional nuclear tests “at a moment’s notice.”
In his New York Times contribution on Sept. 13, Joel Wit, the founder of 38North, said one of those three tests could take place on Oct. 9.
“Since North Koreans often celebrate important dates with spectacular shows, the approaching 10th anniversary of its first nuclear detonation on Oct. 9 might be the perfect occasion,” he wrote.
He asked the new presidential administration to “put to rest the misconceptions that have driven the United States’ failed North Korea policy,” especially the idea that China will settle security concerns on the Korean Peninsula.