As tensions arise in our troubled world, nothing is more dangerous or frightening than the threat of nuclear war. Our relationship with North Korea is currently the most strained that the United States is involved in. Donald Trump, our president, and the president of North Korea, Kim Jong Un, are not exactly amicable, as both have very hot tempers and no tolerance for letting even small transgressions pass by unnoticed. This, as well as years upon years of deteriorated relations, has led to some disturbing shows of force from the “Hermit Kingdom,” some even involving nuclear warheads.

For years, it was believed that North Korea was bluffing about having nuclear missiles. Their disconnect from the outside world and less than stellar technology has proven to be no boundary for North Korea in their quest for intercontinental weaponry. North Korea’s most recent nuclear weapons test was a hydrogen bomb that was estimated to have a 120 kiloton yield, which is 15 times more powerful than the bomb that decimated Hiroshima, Japan in World War II. This is more alarming when supplemented by the fact that South Korea has reported that North Korea has been seen moving a missile, believed to be an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM). The ICBM was being transported to the coast of the country.

Governments of the world, especially those of the United States, feel very threatened by the actions of the reclusive country. President Trump has said that military action against North Korea is not at all the “…first choice,” though some Americans view war as inevitable. With the intentions of North Korea unclear, and the volatile nature of international politics at this time, it is hard to tell if anything is going to come of their actions. Though, if it is anything like the past, there should be absolutely nothing to worry about.