General Overview of the Topic
Considering security issues at the international level, it should be admitted that there is no unanimity concerning paradigms and theories providing a definitive solution to defense problems in the world.
Hence, there is no agreement over the research programs that can positively influence the current situation (Harvey 114). With regard to present pluralism of security programs, there is still the necessity to work out a comprehensive solution that would incorporate international and regional goals in terms of security.
In the light of the Cold War events, a tense confrontation between North and South Korea is really critical from the perfective of international security policy. The Korean situation has entered even a more tensed opposition due to the North’s nuclear weapons program leading to a serious crisis in 1994 (Kim 2).
The nuclear crises, hence, has become a starting point in disagreements over the appropriate strategies for solving the problems in North Korea. In order to conceive the consistency and essence of the problem, it is necessary to provide conventional understanding of this security policy studies.
Definition of Security Politics
Security Policy Studies is a political program whose major focus is made on international security problems and the way the policy reacts to those problems in the light of emerging security threats. The most urgent dangers involve weapons of mass destruction, regional conflicts, international crime, and implications arising from the globalization process.
In addition, security issues also consider international and regional policy reactions to the problems, including the military, the intelligence community operations, international economic policy-makers, and diplomats.
While putting an emphasis on the threat of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), and regional conflicts in East Asia, it is purposeful to consider the main approaches and policy responses toward the security issues to work possible solutions to the problems under consideration (Such et al. 2).
Policy Responses towards the Threat of Weapons of Mass Destruction
The primary goal of nuclear policy was narrowed to proliferating fear of war. The growing tendency of using power for deterrent purposes, but not for defensive ones, has made the idea of a mere defeating an adversary senseless. Nowadays, the states are striving to strengthen their military forces, but not for the purpose of increasing defense capabilities.
Rather, some states, particular those of Asian region, fear that they will not be able to protect their population with the help of conventional weapons (Brown et al. 23). The threat of deterrent actions leaves them no chances for erasing the nuclear power from their armory.
Analyzing different conventions preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the international policy has worked out several strategies to respond to this problem. To begin with, the main aim of the international program is to convince the countries to join the problem of weapons reduction and confirm their consent to destroy the existing chemical weapons (Armistead 81).
Second, the international policies are also directed on controlling particular activities in chemical and scientific industries to minimize the risk of chemical deployment.
Third, the programs also seek to provide protection and assistance to member countries if they are under the danger by the invasion of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons (Armistead 81). Finally, international organizations and conventions should strive promote globalized cooperation for the peaceful utilization of chemical and biological substances.
While evaluating the scales of destructions caused by those types of weapons, the concern with proliferation should be connected not only with the increase of these weapons, but with capacity of countries to provide those in considerable amounts for delivering over designating targets (Jones and Kennedy Pipe 157).
Moreover, security rationales are not considered to be the reason for weapons expansion, but as a trigger for the development of scientific and industrial spheres. Nevertheless, the global society considers it crucial to counter the weapon proliferation in order to ensure the security and peace in the light of the internationalization process (Jones and Kennedy-Pipe 167).
It is obvious that the nuclear weapons and the concept of peace are not congruent with other, but alternative interpretations of these relations give less importance to the deployment of other kinds of weapon (D’Ahieri 219).
A “peaceful” competition between the United States and the Soviet Union has led to disturbances in other countries as the nuclear threat has contributed to a growing tension and necessity to increase the number of nuclear weapons (Shimko 279). Chemical and biological weapons are also included into the concept of weapons of mass destruction. Realizing all dangers and threats of WMD proliferation, a great number of oppositions have been created (Jones and Kennedy Pipe 157).
Evaluating the WMD proliferation from a pragmatic perspective, the international community admits to attain this kind of technology for peaceful measures only (Armistead 78). The WMD acquisition is also permitted for Power-States. In this respect, “…the role of Power-States such as the USA is to prevent non-compliance to the Non-Proliferation Treaty states, which forbid any state to build WMD”.
The major concern of international polices, therefore, is narrowed to searching for appropriate steps for reducing the unlawful actions. One of the most effective methods to counter the proliferation of any kinds of destruction weapons is to block the information flows on the recent technological innovations contributing to the development of WMD (Armistead 80).
Aside from Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention and the Chemical Weapons Convention have acquired specific important (Terzuolo 9). To minimize the risk of further destructions, the international community initiated the reforms contributing to “the implementation and strengthening of international arms control, disarmament, and non proliferation norms and agreements” (Terzuolo 9).
Policy Responses toward the Threat of Regional and Ethnic Conflict
It should be stressed that the international policy responses toward the problem of regional and ethnic conflicts. This particularly concerns the policy of the Power-States which should be more regulated and consistent. Hence, regional and cultural confrontations always serve as the bases for regional and ethnic conflicts.
This particularly concerns the tensions between the Western and Eastern civilizations pursuing different missions and traditions. With the advent of globalization, this issue has become even more serious and much attention has been paid to resolving national and international conflicts (Kanet 100). Considering the long lasting conflict between the Koreas, the problem is that United State policy toward the South Korea leaves little space for development for the latter.
In particular, such a bilateral cooperation has no perspectives for South Korea to resolve the main problems of security, imposing more restrictions on freedom (Diehl and Lepgold 111). The same problem is connected with North Korea where the excessive control of China aggravates diplomatic relations of North Korea with other countries (Bercovitch 139).
In order evaluate the current situation with security politics, particularly those applied to Eastern Asia, it is imperative to evaluate the reasons and historical background of those disagreements emerged in this region (Kapur 153). Hence, regional conflict prevention should be primarily based on confidence building approaches (Lake and Morgan 12).
The conflicting nations should be committed to the obligations imposed on them, including those prohibiting the nuclear weapon proliferation (Al-Rodhan 103). In addition, solid support and assistance should be provided to those countries whose restricted governance capacities do not allow them to sustain safety and stability.
Finally, there is the necessity to reform the system monitoring the trade and information flows for the purpose of improving and regulating intelligence sharing (Al-Rodhan 104). Striking the balance between regional and international goals, the international policy has great chances to improve the current situation.
Conclusion
The problem of international security has acquired particular significance for the globalized community. The process of internalization has faced a lot of adversities and one of them is the nuclear power proliferation and the emergence of regional and ethnic conflicts. These issues create serious obstacles for reconciling the Western and Eastern civilizations, specifically if protection and security of the country are at stake.
In this regard, the international security politics is primarily directed at enhancing control over the WMD proliferation and relationships between the regions. Considering the situation in South and North Koreas, a special importance should be attained to the problem of weapon reduction and methods applied to human intervention from the part of the Power States. Using pragmatic and multidimensional approaches to resolving the conflicts will be the most reasonable solution to the particular case.
Works Cited
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