Ever since North Korea began testing their missiles last month, the world has been uneasy. In America especially, it seems as though the people are in fact rather concerned about the situation. No one feels comfortable with North Korea being in the possession of such a hefty nuclear weapons program. A recent poll in the United States shows just how worried Americans really are.
North Korea's nuclear weapons program
According to CNN, "The country has fired 18 missiles during 12 tests since February, further perfecting its technology with each launch." In July, their more successful tests drew more concern and the UN Security Council decided on Saturday to pass sanctions on North Korea.
This came following a unanimous vote on the issue. These sanctions aim to show that many countries disapprove of this nuclear program. It is also hoped that the sanctions will encourage North Korea to enter talks with the UN and allow for a peaceful solution to this situation, according to the Independent. According to experts, some of the recent missile tests that they performed could have ended up being a major threat to American cities such as Los Angeles, Denver, and Chicago, had they been fired at a slightly flatter trajectory.
CBS News conducted a poll, questioning 1111 Americans by telephone about this possible nuclear threat, between August 3 and August 6, 2017. The poll revealed that 72 percent of Americans were uneasy about the situation.
Although many Americans believe that North Korea is simply using the program to gain influence and power, they also added that it is still a threat that cannot be ignored. 60 percent of Americans believe that the threat is one that can be contained. 29 percent of these Americans claimed that America should use military action to neutralize the threat immediately, according to CNN.
The poll also revealed just how little faith the Americans have in President Donald Trump. According to CBS News, 65 percent of Americans said that they weren't too confident in Trump's ability to handle the situation. The nation is also concerned about Trump's notorious tweets and about how his social media interactions will impact this already shaky situation.
Trump, however, has told media in a statement that "We will handle North Korea. We are going to be able to handle them. It will be handled. We handle everything."
At present, there isn't much that the United States can do, except wait and hope that the sanctions deter North Korea from any further action.
