In terms of Pyongyang's decision making process, one cannot neglect the influence of domestic politics on foreign policy; the leader's values influence the approval of citizens towards North Korea's political system and foreign policy strategy. However, the decision making model may be ineffective in explaining the North Korean nuclear issue. Pyongyang's possession of nuclear weapons does not only stem from geopolitical demands, it also contributes to potential brinkmanship, which serves as a bargaining chip on the negotiation table. Pyongyang may have several potential goals: reduce the power differential with other countries and respond to military isolation by the US, Japan and South Korea; satisfy the need for economic development; and mitigate factional competition in domestic politics. In this perspective, Pyongyang's motives may not be belligerent or offensive; North Korea's nuclear strategy may be fundamentally defensive, with the aim of adjusting the asymmetric deployment of nuclear weapons on the Korean Peninsula.