With yet another test of a ballistic missile, North Korea continues to make global statements with further missile tests.

Following the heated exchanges between the United States and North Korea that screamed with signs of an impending war, North Korea has displayed yet another feat of their strength through further missile tests, including one notable instance of a test flying over Japan’s mainland. The United Nations has finally condemned the acts of North Korea, but it did not go further than a warning.

The statement by the United Nations indicated no further action taken against North Korea. Amidst virtually endless ambiguity surrounding its future actions, the UN stated that they were united against North Korea but made no indications toward further assertion of the sanctions that were originally placed towards North Korea.

North Korea’s recent test marks a direct act of defiance to the rest of the world and shows the direct disconnect of perspectives and ideologies that the rest of the world share in comparison to the North Korean Dictator and his regime. At this point, the statements made by the North Korean government are well on track to become true, as the results are certainly ones to consider. The warheads that flew over Hokkaido and fell into the North Pacific Ocean showed more than enough capability to strike at the heart of Japan. The threat was considerable enough for the Japanese government to send out a mass text alert for its citizens to take precautionary measures in the event of a missile strike.

Lack of intervention and ambiguous promises can only result in the furthering of the conflict with an inevitably violent climax. Instead of waiting until the necessity to act is an absolute, the prospect of acting early can have a series of significantly notable benefits. Preventing such a conflict makes the UN look incredibly strong to the rest of the world due to the initiative taken by them, as well as sends a message to the world regarding the UN’s influence and power.

The United States and Japan displaying their might with PAC-3 anti-missile defense systems are certainly one level of reassurance, but defensive capacity does not show an incentive to the aggressor to back down, but rather develop different tactics to succeed. The missile strikes were aimed further than the North Pacific and further than Japan, attempting to make a statement that North Korea would follow through with their threat of striking Guam if the United States does not agree to the negotiating terms of North Korea.

Displays of resilience from the international alliance is an imperative at this very moment. The United States, along with the United Nations, have the authority to be directly assertive regarding the sanctions placed on North Korea which limit their capacity of nuclear arms production. Then, the world may come together to prohibit a scale of warfare potentially akin to World War III. The threats of nuclear warfare are well and widely known. However, it is far close to reality than we think, and the statements made by North Korea in recent days are ones to seriously consider.

To prevent a world war, the world must first take a stand, and soon.