North-East Asia is distinguished by being potentially one of the world’s most nuclearised regions. It includes two nuclear powers recognised by the Non-Proliferation Treaty (Russia and China), a proliferant state (North Korea) and three countries that could very quickly complete nuclear programmes (Japan, South Korea and Taiwan). Now that the question of nuclear proliferation has again surfaced on the international strategic scene, and that North Korea’s test of October 2006 has introduced a new security paradigm into the region, how real is the risk of nuclear proliferation in North-East Asia?
