Pre-emptive attacks are not the exclusive right of the US." This statement issued by North Korean deputy director Ri Pyong-gap, displays North Korea's growing threat of unleashing nuclear catastrophe. Since the early nineties, nations around the world have been attempting to influence North Korea to halt their nuclear weapons program. In 1994, North Korea signed an agreement with the United States, stating that North Korea must halt all development of nuclear weapons and allow United Nations weapons inspectors to monitor all nuclear facilities. In return, North Korea would be given over 500,000 tons of oil each year and millions of tons of food. However, even with this agreement in place, North Korea is still attempting to develop a nuclear arsenal that compromises Southeast Asian stability.
In 1994, The United States and North Korea developed a framework for an overall resolution to the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula. In accordance with the agreement, both countries agreed to take the following actions to attempt to resolve the nuclear situation. Both sides would cooperate to replace the North Korean graphite-moderated reactors and related facilities with light-water reactor power plants. As necessary, the U.S. and North Korea would establish a bilateral agreement for cooperation in the field of peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Alternative energy would be provided in the form of heavy oil, from the United States, for heating and electricity production. Deliveries of heavy oil began soon after the agreement and deliveries reached a rate of 500,000 tons annually, in accordance with an agreed schedule of deliveries. In addition to the deliveries of oil to North Korea, the United States agreed to construct several energy efficient power plants that would provide the majority of North Korea with safer energy to be delivered in 2004. .
Since this framework was developed, North Korea has changed philosophies, attempting to develop nuclear weapons.
