ABSTRACT
In the opinion of many experts, the nuclear problem on the Korean Peninsulaor what Western analysts prefer to call the "North Korean nuclear problem"—is one of the most serious, long-lasting, and still-unresolved crises that the international community has faced since the end of the Cold War. This is why it is natural for specialists studying this problem to be interested in exploring the reasons that originally led the Democratic Peoples' Republic of Korea (DPRK) to undertake the development of a nuclear program of an applied military nature in parallel with the country's well-known activities in the peaceful use of nuclear energy.
