hankyoreh

The Lee Myung-bak administration had said it was going to make Korea a full participant in the US-led Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) if North Korea launched a rocket, but it has postponed the official announcement three times.

First it let it be known an official announcement would come immediately following the launch, which occurred on April 5, and then postponed it to follow the outcome of the United Nations Security Council discussion, which issued a presidential statement on April 14. Yesterday, we were told the announcement would come by or around the weekend. Everyone and every agency seems to have a different interpretation as to the reason why.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade says it could influence matters with North Korea and that it has not finished coordinating with other concerned countries, however, the Ministry of Unification refutes this explanation by saying that nothing has changed pertaining to issues between Seoul and Pyongyang. Cheong Wa Dae (the presidential office in South Korea or Blue House) officials have a different story. It is becoming hard to think of these officials as people who are working in the same administration.

The argument in favor of fully participating in PSI is also running in several directions at once. When President Lee met with ruling and opposition party leaders on April 6, he said, “the question of participating in the Proliferation Security Initiative is being actively considered in the context of international cooperation on the prevention of the spread of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), and we are pursuing full participation based on our own decision.” He added that it was not intended to serve as a response to North Korea’s rocket launch. A high-ranking member of his administration has since said participating in PSI “would not look good immediately following North Korea’s response to the UN Security Council Presidential Statement while admitting, “the decision to participate in PSI is one of a few measures to apply pressure on Pyongyang.”

Participating in PSI does not seem promising as an effective policy. The administration says that it only applies to territorial waters and not to the open sea. It appears then, the standing “Agreement on Inter-Korean Maritime Shipping” (Nambuk Haeun Habui Seo) could be applied without the danger of angering North Korea or the potential of an armed clash.

The administration, then, has itself essentially admitted there are no practical benefits to be had from participating in the program. Nevertheless the administration says with 94 countries participating in PSI that participating is the international norm and South Korea needs to participate. The Obama Administration, however, is in the process of adjusting the tone of U.S. policies towards so-called rogue states like Iran and Cuba from one of “pressure and sanctions” to one of “dialogue and working together.” It is not placing the same weight on PSI as did the Bush Administration, and is not even strongly recommending we participate.

The confusion over PSI is a policy disaster that has occurred in the course moving forward on a hard-line policy that fails to have a precise strategy or ample preparation. The administration should therefore withdraw its decision to become a full participant in PSI, as it has no reasonable justification or practical benefits. If it allows itself to continued to be carried away by calls for a hard-line approach it will only give North Korea one more thing to react to and thereby further hurt inter-Korean relations. It is time for President Lee to make a wise decision.

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