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North Korea’s fourth and fifth nuclear tests and its subsequent actions and reactions have changed the conditions for unification of the Korean Peninsula. This article attempts to interpret these changed dynamics and explore the prospects of unification after nuclear testing by focusing on the nature of the Kim Jong-un regime, its unpredictability, and instability. Now it is likely that escalatory sanctions, coup d’état, and concerns stemming from Kim Jong Un’s health will lead to the collapse of the North Korean regime and an accelerated process of reunification. Multiple tests cannot help Pyongyang acquire the status of a nuclear state, and forced unification under North Korea’s nuclear threatening will be a suicidal act for Pyongyang. All major stakeholders must adequately prepare themselves for an accelerated unification process given nuclear tests and the subsequent developments.
