The Australian argues in its editorial titled Little room for maneuver on Korean peninsula that outside pressure so far has done little to contain the threat posed by North Koreas nuclear weapons program.
It seems unlikely that Wednesdays explosion was a powerful hydrogen bomb but the US already judges North Korea capable of miniaturising a nuclear warhead and putting it on an intercontinental ballistic missile. The threat to regional security is likely to grow more serious.
Outside pressure so far has done little to contain that threat. The latest bomb has been condemned by the UN Security Council as clear violation of (past) resolutions … and of the nonproliferation regime. There is no reason to expect such a statement to have any more effect than previous resolutions.
Sanctions have hurt the regime but so far it appears to prefer pain to any curtailment of its nuclear prowess, which it sees as essential to its survival - and to its ideological self-image. However, it is difficult to know the degree of internal tension caused by sanctions and it may be worth the UN applying tighter economic prohibitions. Also worth an attempt is the exertion of indirect pressure through North Koreas last ally, China.
Wednesdays bomb is the fourth since 2006. It is unlikely to be the last unless Pyongyang is exposed to the degree of pressure necessary for a genuine agreement on curtailing its nuclear program.
