hankyoreh

Yesterday, North Korea carried out the launch of its Kwangmyongsong-2 experimental communications satellite. This has been a highly unfortunate situation, in that in doing so North Korea spurned demands from the international community to halt the launch. However, it has been fortunate that there has not been a military clash that has resulted from the matter, for example, a launching of an interception missile. It is now time to work towards resolving this incident and minimizing its negative repercussions.

The governments of several nations have now confirmed that the object launched by North Korea was a satellite and not a ballistic missile, which is what North Korean authorities have been asserting all along. However, this does not mean that the international community is any less concerned about the rocket technology used to launch the satellite, as it could easily be transformed into long-distance missile technology. In effect, this launch indicates that North Korea possesses intercontinental ballistic missile technology. North Korea is distrusted within the international community as a result of its actions to date regarding nuclear weapons and missiles. The mere fact that a nation that has already carried out a nuclear test possesses such a technology presents a latent threat to the entire global community. This launch will only deepen this distrust further.

The United Nations (UN) Security Council has begun discussions on a plan for responding to this launch. The position of South Korea, the United States and Japan is that the launch represents a clear violation of Security Council Resolution 1718. Adopted in October 2006 in the immediate aftermath of North Korea’s nuclear test, this resolution demands that North Korea “suspend all activities related to its ballistic missile program.” Hard-liners in the U.S. and Japan are calling for either stronger sanctions against North Korea based on this resolution or for the adoption of a new resolution. But such an adoption will not be easily accomplished, as Russia and China do not feel that a satellite launch should be subject to sanctions.

There is also a considerable contingent that maintains that this launch should not be taken as an act of provocation by North Korea, but should be instead used as a catalyst propelling us towards strengthening discussions on nuclear weapons and missiles. The unreasonable pursuit of sanctions in this situation could get us away from the original intention of containing a threat and make the situation worse, perhaps even get in the way of the goal of denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula and building peace.

North Korea’s launch smacks strongly of an attempt to secure internal unity in advance of the first meeting of the 12th Supreme People’s Assembly. This means that North Korea’s system is so weak that its leaders feel they must use this launch to demonstrate their power to their people. An immoderate response from related nations could fan this feeling of crisis within North Korea’s leadership and send the situation spinning in the wrong direction. Meanwhile, Japan’s exchange with North Korea registered on war-attack mode, aiming to garner support for turning Japan into a militarized superpower, and appeared every bit as much for political show as North Korea’s actions.

A possibility for a resolution of the North Korean nuclear weapons and missile issue through dialogue and negotiation still exists. What we do not want is for the nations involved to respond by narrowing the margin of possibility for discussions to take place, becoming complicit in North Korea’s mistake of carrying out a satellite launch. There are times when pressure on North Korea is needed, but we must not forget that it is discussion that solves problems in the end. At this time, the Barack Obama administration in the U.S. has not yet finished reexamining its North Korea policy. It must avoid endangering the tone of its policy of　wanting comprehensive discussions with North Korea by responding in haste to the satellite launch.

Now that North Korea has launched its long-distance rocket, we cannot continue on as if nothing has happened, but we should try to minimize the aftereffects. If the situation surrounding this satellite launch drags on, it is likely that everyone will suffer.

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