Scoville,

It has to do with international treaties, that N. Korea signed, promising NOT to develop nuclear weapons in exchange for tangible benifits, such as peaceful nuclear reactors, and money. Now that they have been given those, they decided in 1995 or so to go ahead and develop the bombs they promised in 1984 they would not develop.

A major point being ignored is that the failure of countries to follow their international obligations ( treaty requirements) is NOT being punished- Thus there is no valid reason to think any treaty will be followed.