Discussion Questions

Aired August 29, 2003

North Korea has reportedly stated at multi-party talks in Beijing that it is preparing to declare itself a nuclear nation and is contemplating testing nuclear weapons.

1. What is the status of North Korea's nuclear weapons program? Why are the U.S. and other members of the international community concerned about the proliferation of nuclear weapons in North Korea?

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2. Why are diplomats from Japan, Russia, South Korea, the U.S., North Korea and China meeting in Beijing this week? What are the goals of this meeting?

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3. According to the video, what threat did North Korea issue during the second day of talks? How is this threat being interpreted by some U.S. officials?

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4. In the video we hear that "North Korea is well known for its brinksmanship and its bluster." What does this statement mean?

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5. Why do you think North Korea is "rattling its sabers" at this point in time?

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6. How do you think the U.S. should respond to North Korea's threat?

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Related Links

CNN.com: U.S.: North Korea says it may test nukes (http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/asiapcf/east/08/28/nkorea.talks/index.html)

CNN.com Special: North Korea Nuclear Tension (http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2003/nkorea/)

Keywords

North Korea, nuclear weapons, ballistic missile testing, diplomacy, Beijing, brinksmanship, bluster