The United States and allies have confirmed that North Korea has tested a nuclear weapon — admittedly a rather small one — in the northern part of the country. The test is something the North promised would happen. They called it a defense against invasion while the rest of the world looks warily on believing it puts other nations — particularly those close to the North — at risk. The United Nations Security Council is in session and the six party talks (with China, Japan and South Korea among them) continue. One history professor at UAB who lived and worked in Asia, Dr. John Van Sant, tells WBHM’s Steve Chiotakis that what complicates a diplomatic resolution is the history of bad blood – not only with the U.S., but with North Korea’s neighbors.
