hankyoreh

Two American journalists were detained by North Korean officials on Tuesday while in the area of the Tumen River, which forms part of the border between China and North Korea. Situations like this do not happen often. Getting the two released should be of the greatest urgency, regardless of what events led to their detention.

Relations between North Korea and the United States are not especially poor right now, but the two countries are in an intense battle of nerves. The United States is saying it plans to push for United Nations sanctions if the North launches a satellite early next month as scheduled. If sanctions are indeed enacted, it is possible relations will quickly grow cold. The North just the other day suddenly refused American food aid, and we interpret that to be a preemptive move against the anticipated sanctions, leaving the United States without the ability to halt food aid as part of any sanction packages. Just this week the North went so far as to temporarily block South Korean access to the Gaeseong (Kaesong) Industrial Complex. Having anything go wrong with the physical well-being of the two journalists in such a situation could make it particularly hard to find a way forward for U.S.-North Korean relations.

The situation is of course not completely discouraging. The United States is making it clear it intends to work hard with the six-party talks even if Pyongyang does launch a satellite. U.S. President Barack Obama is pursuing high-level, direct talks with the North, as he has promised to do for some time now. The North, too, is placing considerable hope in the new U.S. administration. Aside from the issue of the satellite launch, neither the North nor the United States have any reason to deliberately make matters worse.

A desire on both sides to talk is what is important. There can still be bilateral dialogue between the United States and North Korea now, even before the new U.S. administration is completely done with its reevaluation of its North Korea policy. The detention of these American journalists could also be turned into an opportunity for something good. When an American of Korean descent entered the North illegally in 1996, then U.S. House of Representatives member Bill Richardson was sent there as a special emissary. He resolved the immediate problem and opened the way for improved relations. This time around as well, the situation could be turned into something that has one positive outcome if both sides determine to make it that way.

There continue to be negative news about North Korea. The countries participating in the six-party talks need to take that as a phenomenon that can occur as the talks go through a transition period. They need to avoid losing the larger flow of where the talks are going by not jumping to react to individual incidents. Nothing must change about the principle of a peaceful resolution to the nuclear and missile issue through the six-party talks. This is a time when all countries involved need to maintain balance and look far down the road while exercising wisdom in dealing with the situation in a composed and exacting manner.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]