McCarthur wanted to bomb the entire Korean-Chinese border with dirty bombs in order to create a radioactive zone and prevent the transfer of troops and material to the peninsula.

Scientists warned that the fallout could destroy humanity. From this, the concept of "the Doomsday Bomb" evolved. A small country that could manufacture a bomb but did not have the missiles of the super powers would still have a deterrent. "You may blow up North Korea, but you will survive in a Chernobyl environment."