Source: Sky News
Carnegie's Paul Schulte spoke to Sky News about North Korea's successful launch of a long-range rocket on December 12.
Schulte said that North Korea is "trying to go on its well established path of getting attention, generating anxiety, and hoping to get aid, assistance, and toleration of the regime." He explained that in the past the West has been irritated by these types of actions from North Korea, but has always "come up with the goods." "They have offered fuel, the South Koreans in particular have offered food, which is an important humanitarian issue because many North Koreans are in fact starving," Schulte pointed out.
Schulte added that the tactic of continually threatening and then hinting that if the goods were delivered relations would improve has paid off in the past. "It's a form of nuclear extortion," he said.
Regarding China's support for the North Korean regime, Schulte explained that China is standing behind North Korea and has suggested that the real solution to the problem is to improve relations between America and North Korea. "China has a formal military alliance with them," Schulte said.
"North Korea seems determined to have nuclear weapons," Schulte concluded. "They've declared that it's their right and their intention."