|
Examine the U.S.-North Korea nuclear weapons talks
April 24, 2003
Web posted at: 11:53 PM EDT (0353 GMT)
Overview: North Korea has admitted to having at least one nuclear bomb, according to White House officials. The acknowledgement violates an agreement that the country made in 1994. In the past, North Korean officials have privately told U.S. officials that they have a nuclear weapons program, but they did not declare having any nuclear weapons.
After students read "North Korea reportedly admits to having nuke" present the following:
1. Where are the U.S.-North Korea talks taking place? What is the purpose of these talks? Who is Li Gun? What do you think Gun meant when he allegedly told U.S. Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly that North Korea would "soon prove" that it has a nuclear bomb? How did U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell respond to Gun's statement?
2. Refer student groups to the resources listed, including CNN.com's "Special Report: Nuclear Crisis" (http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2003/nkorea/), to learn about the history of North Korea and the tensions on the Korean Peninsula. After groups present their findings, point out to students that during the talks in Beijing, Li Gun, North Korea's representative, told U.S. Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly that North Korea has a nuclear weapon and then asked, "Now what are you going to do about it?" Ask students: Why is Gun's comment politically significant? Do you think Gun's statement is "typical North Korean brinksmanship"? State your rationale. Why do you think Gun made this bold statement? What does North Korea stand to gain or lose diplomatically by making this statement? After the discussion, challenge each student to draft a statement to Secretary of State Colin Powell about how he/she thinks the U.S. should respond to North Korea at this point in time. Have students share their statements with the class and discuss.
|
