The Korean War wages on as North Korea is not backing down from numerous threats from the United States and countries from around the world. Responding to President Donald Trump’s speech in front of the United Nations, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un told his people that he would respond in the “highest level of hard-line countermeasure in history,” according to The New York Times. 

The United Nations and the United States have put sanctions on petroleum, textiles and natural gas according to National Public Radio. The new sanctions also prohibit countries from allowing new work permits affecting more than 90,000 North Korean workers. The workers who travel abroad bring the Korean government about a half a billion dollars a year, according to NPR.

“It doesn’t just affect the United States. I would say at this point it affects the whole world,” Social Studies Curriculum Coordinator and history teacher Jennifer Brown-Howerton said.

United States Ambassador Nikki Haley pushed for a total oil embargo, asset freeze and a global travel ban against the Kim regime. The push was unsuccessful because the Russians and Chinese vetoed the proposal in the Security Council. Kim is not paying heed to the recent sanctions saying the sanctions will only accelerate their nuclear program.

Kim recently disclosed in the local state news, KCNA, that his military arsenal has reached “equilibrium” to the United States. In 1994 North Korea did agree to freeze and destroy nuclear reactors in exchange for aid to build new light-water nuclear reactors according to CNN. It was later discovered that North Korea violated the treaty and was undergoing a secret nuclear weapon program.

In 2003 Korea announced that they had nuclear weapons. In 2005 North Korea agreed to give up its entire nuclear program if the United States, China, Japan, Russia, and South Korea agreed to provide energy assistance, according to CNN. In the past decade North Korea has agreed to temporarily stop their nuclear programs and then eventually started building their program back up again.

 “I think once he (Kim Jong-un) has nuclear weapons that are intercontinental I don’t know why they would do more than that,” Social Studies teacher Richard Shrock said.

Military options are not out of question for the United States. The U.S. has found ways to use military options to handle the nuclear conflict without putting Seoul, the South Korean capital, at grave risk according to United States Defense Secretary James Mattis. The two recent missile tests over Japan have deliberately come close but not close enough for the United States to pursue military options.

North Korea relies on China for more than 90 percent of their overseas trade according to the New Yorker. China has agreed to limit the export of oil to North Korea, but has not agreed to totally cut them off. China has encouraged the U.S. to make a deal with North Korea known as “freeze for freeze.” This entails that the North Koreans would stop further military tests if the United States stops or reduces joint military exercises with South Korea and Japan according to the New Yorker. President Donald Trump said in a U.N. speech that he will, “totally destroy” North Korea if they threaten the United States.

“He doesn’t care about sanctions and without the complete 100 percent backing of China, sanctions are useless,” senior Gillian Cruz said.