What do Shipping, aviation, military training, heavy and light arms, Banking, diplomats and Statues all have in common? Well, all have embargoes placed on them by the UN (and US, of course) in a bid to make North Korea think again and drop its nuclear agenda and embrace a lot more dialogue with the outside world.
It is barely breaking news that the DPRK has been unrelenting and has even stepped up tests in its quest to miniaturize nuclear warheads and thus become one of the few States with a nuclear arsenal capable of reaching (perceived enemy) targets anywhere in the world. Pyongyang has conducted no less than seven missile tests in 2017 alone and appears to be making steady progress. If the ability or seriousness of Kim to achieve his aim was ever in doubt, the test of a two stage Intercontinental Ballistic missile has confirmed to even the most pessimistic of international observers that an activity of grave international consequence is certainly taking place within the more troublesome of the Korean States.

The threat of the DPRK to the world is even more serious when Kim Jong Un is put into perspective. Only this year , 'the supreme leader' (very likely) ordered the assassination of his half brother with a nerve agent. This follows the assassination of his uncle Jang Song- Thaek in 2013. That could be his limit......he could go on further, no one knows his state of mind and mental Health. Donald Trump was mocked on the back of his election win as one who would be too eager to play with the US nuclear codes-Now, try to picture Mr. Kim in his nuclear stead with his hands "on deck"and see if' the joke is still funny. Very Little is known of the secretive despot's private and public life except for what the official news agency "Rodong" is obliged to report, making him even less predictable. He has ignored the prospect of global socio-economic integration, and even the small matter of abundance of food for his impoverished subjects for the perpetuation of the absolute rule of his family.

The North Korean leadership is very much aware of the fact that it runs a peculiar authoritarian system at odds with the predominant system of governance in the modern world. Kim most likely suspects that the US and its allies must be considering a lot of different options (including assassination ) to get rid of him and his strangle hold on power. The North Korean secret service even claims it has evidence of a plot to assassinate the 'supreme leader'. Similarly, Kim is very conscious of the fact that his regime is particularly vulnerable without a flexible attack/ defence system. Therefore, the North requires a dependable form of security that would both instantly and accurately convey the message it is so desperate to send. Having a nuclear arsenal is a subtle yet very effective method of saying "stay away, our dogs can bite" and "if you threaten us, we can certainly strike you. Just like in the case of the old Soviet Union and subsequently Russia- U.S relations, this follows the principle of deterrence and must have made perfect sense to Kim, considering what he and his cohort are trying to achieve.

However, a nuclear weapon chasing DPRK is scary enough, but it is even scarier when one thinks of what it can do when it eventually has the capacity and capability. Russia and the US have been content with showing off and stocking their piles of nuclear weapons, exercising restraint above all and embracing talks. Kim Jong Un has agreed to talks before only to turn 360 degrees and has been obstinate ever since, refusing any talks and negotiations over its nuclear ambitions, apart from ignoring UN sanctions.

Can Kim Jong Un be trusted with the responsibility that comes with being in charge of a nuclear arsenal , can he be trusted not to toy with weapons that could potentially put an end to human existence and wipe all living things off the face of the earth? I do not think anyone wants to sit and patiently wait till Mr. supreme leader answers these questions himself with an ICBM launch or a third world war before action is taken. His precedents don't make for pleasant reading, it certainly is warning enough. Too much time and energy has been expended trying to make Kim take the carrot and it has yielded absolutely no result! Now is the time to give him the stick. As a matter of urgent World priority, Sufficient energy, technology and Resources by the UN and member States to ensure that the stockpile is traced, found and gotten rid of and Kim should be severely punished. While It is definitely easier said than done and poses a lot of risk, it is much better and of less risk to take action than to be sorry when it has become too late and we are in effect doomed.