Does North Korea Really Pose a Nuclear Threat?

Is North Korea really a nuclear threat or is it all talk and no action? With a history of a very unstabilized government, my money is they are. North Korea definitely has the resources to develop nuclear weapons to use or to sale to other countries or terrorist. North Korea has uranium mines with an estimated four million tons of attainable high-quality uranium ore. The state and quality of the mines is unknown, but estimates proclaim that the ore contains around 0.8% extractable uranium. In the mid - 1960s they established a large-scale atomic energy research complex in Yongbyon. They used specialists from students who had been educated in the Soviet Union. There was an agreement reached between the USSR and North Korea resulting in a nuclear research center built near the small town of Yongbyon.

North Koreas nuclear weapon program dates back to the 1980s. They focused on practical uses of nuclear energy and the completion of a nuclear weapon development system. This is when North Korea began to run facilities for developing uranium and conversion. In 1985, the United States announced for the first time that they had intelligence data showing that a secret nuclear reactor was built near the small town of Yongbyon. Under international pressure, North Korea agreed to the Treaty of the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). North Korea though refused to sign a safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy (IAEA), an obligation it had as a party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
In 1990, it was reported by the Washington Post that new satellite photographs revealed that a structure, which could possibly be used to separate plutonium from nuclear fuel, was observed in Yongbyon. On May 11,1993 the UN Security Council passed a resolution urging North Korea to cooperate with the International Atomic Agency (IAEA) in a denuclearization attempt.
In 1994, the administration of President Bill Clinton had begun preparations to initialize military action against North Korea when former President Jimmy Carter went to North Korea in June and had negotiated a promise from North Korea President Kim Jong Il to freeze nuclear production. The sudden death of North Korean leader Kim Il Sung on July 8, 1994 halted this agreement and plans for a first ever South-North Korea presidential summit, which led to a period of inter- Korean animosity. The talks were recessed when the news of Kim Jong Ils death became known, it resumed in August where the talks concluded with the Agreed Framework.
The Agreed Framework agreement would freeze and eventually dismantle its existing suspect nuclear program, including the 50 MW and 200 MW graphite-moderated reactors under construction, as well as its existing 5 MW reactor and nuclear fuel reprocessing facility. Under this agreement, Pyongyang would be provided with alternative energy, initially in the form of heavy oil, and eventually two proliferation-resistant light water reactors (LWR). The two 1,000 MW light-water nuclear reactors would be safer and would produce much less plutonium. The critical shortage of electricity in the North would be boosted.
Despite many actions by the United Nations and the United States North Korea continued to develop their nuclear processes and furthing in the development of nuclear weapons under the late North Korea Leader Kim Il Sungs' son, President Kim Jung Il . Recently on October 9, 2006, North Korea claimed it had performed a successful nuclear test. The apparent nuclear test was conducted at 10:36 a.m. (1:36 a.m. GMT) in Hwaderi near Kilju city. A senior U.S. official said China was given a 20-minute warning ahead of the test and in turn told the United States, Japan and South Korea about getting the advance notice. The U.S. Geological Survey Web site recorded a light 4.2-magnitude earthquake in North Korea at 10:35 a.m., about 385 kilometers (240 miles) northeast of the North Korean capital, Pyongyang.
North Koreas' obvious ignoring of the International society and United States concerns or demands definitely shows North Korea is not all talk. The seriousness of the actions should concern everyone. With terrorist attacks around the world increasing since 9/11, it would only be a matter of time before North Korea advanced their nuclear development and puts their results out on the open market for terrorist organizations to purchase. Is North Korea bluffing? Are they all talk? History shows that this is very unlikely.