The tensions in North Korea started with the Korean war back in the 1950’s and the cold war in the 70’s when the United States was trying to rid the world of communism.

Right now the tension between The United States and North Korea is the highest it’s ever been. The North Korean ambassador to the U.N brought a direct message from Kim Jong Un that nuclear war could break out at any moment. In order combat this, the UN keeps proposing heavier sanctions on the country.

North Korea is the only country in the world that has gotten an extreme nuclear threat since the 1970’s during the cold war. Resulting from them upping their nuclear weapon production and becoming a full nuclear power.

The escalation in this problem has been affecting many people across the world, mainly the US, South Korea, Japan, and North Korea.

Ivy Simms, a student here at Triton Regional High School Has her boyfriend stationed over in South Korea. She says that North Korea shouldn’t be able to make threats and or be able to hurt citizens of other countries, and also that they have expressed very extreme opinions, and are considering acting on them. They’ve been doing it for a couple of years now. When asked how she feels about Kim Jong Un, Simms says.

“I feel that he’s not only just treating for his own personal gain but, I think he’s doing it to take his anger out due to his brother’s untimely death.”

She says on the other side, that South Korea has been handling it very well by strengthening their military, as well as having the US military to back them up and help train. When asked how the conflict affects her, Simms  said it does, because, her boyfriend is overseas serving in the military, and war could break out at any moment. She says the way that it could affect Americans is if a war does happen, it”s against us. There could also potentially be a draft happening again, and maybe even a World War 3 due to all of the nuclear confusion going on around the world. Lastly, when asked how the US could handle a war if it came to it, Simms said that we have been prepared for a while with our warnings towards North Korea, and the South Korean military along with us taking precautions.

‘’ Foreigners tend to worry more than the South Koreans themselves.” Says Mr. Enos.

Mr. Enos is a newer teacher here at Triton, and he has some first hand experience with what is going on between North and South Korea. He taught in Seoul, which is the capital of South Korea. Enos got back from Seoul in July 2016, but while he was there, the North Koreans seemed less worried than he’d think. They rolled their  eyes at the thought of North Korea. They even made efforts to visit the DMZ (De – Militarized Zone) like there was no conflict going on. When asked what his thoughts were on Kim Jong Un, Enos had this to say.

‘’He is kind of a joke of a leader.”

He also said that he is a very comical person, and that his thoughts are very unrealistic and delusional.

“He holds in his hands, the lives of millions of people and has robbed from his own country.”

Says Mrs.O’Leary who teaches history and psychology here at Triton. O’Leary says that his governmental apparatus seems as a modern day Stalinist regime in North Korea. It is also difficult getting info, but it is done and from that we know that a significant amount of people lack basic necessities, and are terrorized by their own leader.