InternationalResponsestotheNorthKoreanNuclearWeaponTest

GabriellaNolan,LawandSocialMovementsFellow February26,2013

TheinternationalmediapresenteddifferentdiscoursessurroundingNorthKoreasthirdnuclear testonFebruary11thsince2006.Althoughthemainfactsoftheeventhavebeenconsistentthroughout theinternationalmedia,thebackgroundstoriesandcontextsurroundingthereasoningandimplications havevarieddependingonthecountry.ThecountriesthatarefocusedoninthispiecearetheUnited States,Spain,QatarandSaudiArabia.ThemostpopularnewsourcesintheUnitedStates,Spain,and theArabspeakingworldwereutilized.TheAmericannewssourcesusedwereCNNandThe HuffingtonPost.TheSpanishnewssourceswereElPaisandElMundo.TheArabicsourcesthatwere usedweretheQatariAlJazeeraandtheSaudiAlArabiya.Thelatterthreecountrieswerechosenasa contrasttotheAmericanmedia.MediaoutletsfromSpainwereusedbecauseoftheirrecentstrongbias towardsWesternpowerssuchasNATO,theEuropeanUnion,theWorldBankFundandtheUnited Nationsduetotherecentfinancialcrisisandthefollowingausteritymeasuresthatwereimposedbytheir governmentandotherwesternpowerssuchastheEuropeanUnion.Inaddition,theArabicmediahave generallybeenneutraltowardsNorthKoreaandtheUnitedStatesalsohavebeencriticalofNATO andWesterncountriesfortheirlackofactioninSyriaandtheirhistoryofbreachingcountries sovereigntyintheregion.DespitetheworldmediaoutletsdescribingNorthKoreasthirdnuclearteston theFebruary10thofthisyearasanactionofdefiance,thelegitimacyofthethreatandthereasons behinditfluctuated. TheinitialreportsfromtheSpanishmediaoutletsofElPaisandElMundoonthethirdnuclear

testinNorthKoreauseaseemlyinitialtoneofobjectivity.Howeverdespitethelatter,thetonetowards theendofthearticleshintatanapprovalofsuchachallengetoWesternpowers.TheSpanish newspaperElPaisinitiallyportrayedtherecentNorthKoreannucleartestasbeingcondemnedbythe worldandwasanactionofdefianceagainstwesternpowersandsanctionsbutalsoexplainssuchas alsoanationalisticproclamation.ThearticleforElPaisentitledCoreadelNorteDesafaalMundo conunaPotentePruebaNucleartranslatedinEnglishas,NorthKoreachallenges/defiestheworldwith apowerfulnucleartest,describestheeventwithcarefuldetail.However,despitetheoverallobjectivity ofthereport,thefirstparagraphsetsupanunderlyingtone.Thefirstparagraphdescribeshowthe nucleartestwasconducteddespitetheWesternpowers/UNSecurityCouncilswarningsand condemnation.Inaddition,thearticledescribeshowsuchadefiancewasconductedinretaliationforthe UnitedStateshostility.Inaddition,despitetherestofthearticlecontainingseeminglyobjectivedetails ofthecondemnationoftheWestandthefactsinregardstothetest,thearticlebeginswithavideo reportdescribingthecelebrationoftheNorthKoreanpeople.ThistoneofthearticleindicatestheEl Paissstanceontheissue.ThevideoreportreportsNorthKoreanscelebratingtheirgovernmentsthird successfultestandchallengetoworldpowerswithfireworks.Thetitlealoneusestheworddesafiaor challengewhichhighlightsnottheactionasagainstinternationalsanctionsbutalmostapprovesand celebratesthedefianceofthepoliciesofWesternpowers. AnotherpopularmediaoutletinSpain,ElMundo,reportedontheeventinoneoftheirinitial articlesentitled"PyongyangRealizaunaNuevaPruebaNuclear,translatedasPyongyangachievesa newnucleartest.Thisarticledescribedinamultimediareportthenucleartestwiththesametoneasin theElPaisarticlethatthetestwasmoreofadefianceoftheinternationalsuperpowersthananactof

breachinginternationalsanctions.Despitetheoverallobjectivity,thereportconcludeswithcelebration musicthatwasplayedinNorthKoreaafterthelaunchinacountrywidecelebrationofthecountrys powerandcontravene.Theeffectoftheusageofsuchmusicconveysthetonethatdespitedescribing theeventasreceivinganabundantamountofinternationalcondemnation,suchapowerfuland successfulchallengeshouldbecelebrated. ThetoneoftheSpanishmediareportsonthePyongyangNorthKoreanucleartestarein contrastwiththemediaoutletsintheUnitedStates.TheCNNarticleentitled,TimeforU.S.to DisengagefromNorthKoreaCrisisbelittlesandmockssuchantestwithwordslikeyawn.The articledescribes,NorthKoreaasanimpulsive,evilgovernmentwithlittleregardforitscitizens, describingitasantotalitarian,impoverished,belligerent,irresponsibleandawreckofacountry.The articlepaintsacountrythatisunreceptivetoitsownpeopleandactswithdisregardforthewellbeingof itscitizens,whichaccordingtothetoneofthearticlecouldonlycomefromcompliancewithWestern sanctionsandstandardsofmodernity.Consequently,suchdecisionsfromthegovernmentaresimplynot rationalandthepotentialeffectsaresimplyanoverstatement.Thus,thetestwasnotasignificant concernfortheUnitedStatesandthusdeservesnostrongretaliationfromtheAmericangovernment. AnotherarticleintheTheHuffingtonPostentitled,NorthKoreaNuclearTest:Pyongyang DefiesUNResolutions,ConductsExplosiveTestalsodescribestheeventinabelittlingway.The articleemphasizesthetestasanactofdefianceofpreviouslyestablishedUNresolutionsandworld powerssuchastheUnitedStates,Japan,anditsownallyofChina.Theonlyreasonforthetestwas thatKorea's"punyeconomyandsmalldiplomaticreachmeantheNorthstrugglestowinattentionon theglobalstage.Thelastsentenceofthearticle,whichingeneralissupposedtoleavethereaderwitha

lastingimpressionoftheimportantpointsofthearticle,concludeswithastatementfromDenmarks ForeignMinister,VillySovndalthatNorthKoreaislikelythemosthorriblecountryonthisplanet.The latterusesofsucharemarkemphasizesthelackoflegitimacythatsuchacountryhasandespeciallyin regardstoitsthreats. InstarkcontrasttotheAmericanmediaoutletsandinsomesimilaritytotheSpanishmedia outlets,theArabmediagiveslegitimacytothethreatposedbyNorthKoreatoWesternpowers.Inthe AlJazeera'sArabicarticleentitledinEnglishtranslation,PyongyangThreatenstoEscalateTightened SanctionsandinArabic describedNorthKoreastestasmoreofanacttoshowtheirownsovereigntyovertheircountryand theiractions.Inaddition,thearticledescribedtheUnitedStatesasmoreofanaggressorandalluded thattheWesternbackedsanctionswereunjust.Thereportmocksthelatterbyhighlightingthe connectionbetweenPyongyangswarningsofthetestasbeingonlyhoursbeforethemeetingofthe SecurityCouncilinregardstotoughersanctionsonthenation. AnothernewssourceintheArabspeakingworldbasedoutofSaudiArabia,AlArabiya,ina reportentitledorPyongyangAnnouncedaNuclearTest AimedatAmericaalsolegitimizesthetestbyemphasizingthetestasanactofdefiancetowardsan enemy.Thereportalsodescribestheeventwithatoneofanactagainstinjustice. DespitetheworldmediaoutletsdescribingNorthKoreasthirdnucleartestontheFebruary 10thofthisyearasanactionofdefiance,thelegitimacyofthethreatandthereasonsbehindit fluctuated.ItisnecessaryfortheUnitedStatesofAmericatorecognizethesefluctuationsand disagreementsofworldopinioninordertofindmoreappropriateapproachestofosteraworld

consensusthatstronglycondemnsthosethatbreachUNregulationsandtreaties.Theconclusionsfrom thispieceofanalysisisnottobetakenasageneralizationduetothelimitationofthenumberofnews sourcesused.Rather,thisreportservestodescribesomedifferenttonesusedinglobalnewspapers reportingontheNorthKoreannuclearweapontest.