Anyone got any views about this?

It's never a good thing when a country does any sort of Nuclear testing, and this will most likely snowball into some sort of armed conflict.

It's probably the only one they had, and just wanted to scare the hell out of the rest of the world.

Those North Koreans, such practical jokers.

If the world does not respond with a united sanctions effort blocking all exports to North Korea (And most notably China would need to participate), then airstrikes on all North Korean military facilities should commence within weeks.

Mmmm, airstrike.

Battlefield 2: Korean conflict anyone?

The way the world has reacted to this has been fucking ridiculous. North Korea decide to develope nuclear weapons because they feel threatened by the rest of the world which already has nuclear weapons and a much bigger military budget. Lets not also forget that North Korea was named in the "axis of evil" along with countries that have now been invaded and bombed. North Korea have good reason to feel afraid. The response of the world has been to threaten them even more.

So scared country is developing nukes because of fear that it will be attacked. Other countries tell them that if they develope nukes they will be attacked. It is not surprising at all that they have developed nukes.

This new philosophy of simplying trying to force countries to do what you want with might is what the real problem is. We'll see plenty more "rogue" states with these policies.

Not that I in any way support what North Korea is doing. I'm opposed to all nuclear weapons. I just think that it is the attitudes of the west that have significantly contributed to these circumstances. Diplomacy is apparantly dead.

Yes, but unfortunately, North Korea is run by a madman.

Well really there's two different global views on the North Korea situation. The first one, being American based is that North Korea being communist and a "rouge state" to two major world superpowers it is dangerous for them to have a neclear development program because of the sensitivity of North Korean/American "peace".

The second opinion is one from the United Nation, they're saying that North Korea is spending millions possibly billions of dollars investing in an unnessicary neclear program which in the long run will do anything but help them. All this while 80% of thier population live in absolute poverty, most not having enough money to afford even water or eletricity.

Yeah no doubt they could be spending the money on better things but isn't it very understandable as to why they're building nukes. If you have something that will protect you from threats and then somebody threatens you not to get that protection but you know you can get it before they carry out any threats would you?

Nuclear weaponry is not necessary.

It's not a simple thing that America doesn't want them to have nukes because they could hit America with nukes. The issue is that we have another nation that felt the need to develop and build nuclear weapsons in the first place, and against the...well will is a word that works, of the other nations that would be effected by this and the UN. The reason for that is because those nations that have nukes have been slowly getting rid of them as they disarm most of these weapons. North Korea on the other hand not only broke a deal that they had signed to not make these weapons, but to also build them as a method to force America and the world to give them a better deal.

The main problems are that they broke that deal in the first place, so no one knows if they will try to build them again if another deal is made that sees them once more give up their nukes. We also don't know if they will try to give up their nukes, or even "lose them" (something no one wants). Whats more, the other main issue is that South Korea and Japan may feel that they also need to match this with their own nuclear weapons (which shouold piss off China as this regoin would slowly become nuclear).

I somehow doubt that SK and Japan would be interested in building nuclear weaponry. They have no need for it. China though, yes. Highly probable.

Well there's ALOT of talk of Japan making nukes...mostly speculation though probably.

60 Mins asked John Howard if Australia would be making nukes...course he said no, but I'd say that we already do have nukes, just that they are currently in possession of UK. ;) :P

China has a nuclear programme, in fact they have had one since the 1960's. South Korea has no plans to build a nuclear weapon, but they have not said they will never do so either. Hell, any nation can make a nuclear weapon if they want (as North Korea has shown). All they need is to be able to "possessing substantial nuclear technology and arms industries" (as stated on wiki). That is why Australia can build a nuclear weapon if Canberra ever feels the need to (only if Indonesia does).

As to Japan, well they are an interesting case. Japan does not have their own nukes, but they do have a say in the nukes that the US has on their soil (in fact that is why they are seen as a de facto nuclear nation). Whats more, they have a number of Nuclear power plants all across the nation which could help a programme if one is ever started. Now the interesting thing is that the Japanese Defence Force has looked into the need to them as a counter to both Russian and North Korean threats in the past. Now the Japanese constitution does forbit the nation from building them, the leadership in place has felt that it is somewhat old of date (in fact the new leader of Japan has started his Prime Minstership by not saying sorry for Japans actions in WW2).

If you want more, look on wiki.

Japan - Japan makes extensive use of nuclear energy in nuclear reactors, generating a significant percentage of the electricity in Japan. Japan has the third largest nuclear energy production after the U.S. and France, and plans to produce over 40% of its electricity using nuclear power by 2010. Significant amounts of plutonium are created as a by-product of the energy production, and Japan had 4.7 tons of plutonium in December 1995. Experts believe Japan has the technology, raw materials, and the capital to produce nuclear weapons within one year if necessary, and some analysts consider it a "de facto" nuclear state for this reason. Japan has been quietly reconsidering its nuclear status because of the ongoing crisis over North Korean nuclear weapons.

Funnily enough, the same guy introduced the death-penalty in Japan this year. But I think Japan's economy is far too pre-occupied with other more beneficial matters than to start producing nukes. I can see it happening...doubtful, but possible. But I think the majority of JP MPs would rule against the development of such abominations, especially after Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

:fight:

Yeah, it's one of those pie in the sky things for now.

It may happen, but only if something big was to happen to make Japan change from their anti-nuke position.

South Korea thinking it is a good idea to build their own could be the tipping point, and one that would make China worry more and more.