Recurring North Korean Nuclear Crises

摘要

The past 15 years have seen a series of nuclear crises on the Korean peninsula, followed by agreements that collapsed, precipitating new crises. Some crises have been conspicuous and acute, others less so. The first nuclear crisis occurred when North Korea refused to sign a full-scope safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). When North Korea joined the nuclear Nonprolif-eration Treaty (NPT) in December 1985, it was obliged to sign a safeguards agreement within 18 months.