hankyoreh

South Korea announced its full-scale participation in the U.S.-led Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) on Tuesday. The punitive response for North Korea’s second nuclear test on Monday is inappropriate.

Of course, it is appropriate to ask North Korea to be accountable for both launching a long-range rocket and its second nuclear test. A United Nations Security Council meeting was immediately convened to begin discussions on sanctions for North Korea’s bad behavior. However, the most critical thing to do now is to find a solution. North Korea’s second nuclear test indicates that it is moving closer to becoming a fully-fledged nuclear-armed state. North Korea’s rise as a nuclear state creates a tense situation and could threaten regional security and peace.

Historically, North Korea’s nuclear capabilities have grown stronger during times of pressure and sanctions, and weaker during times of dialogue and negotiations. The 1994 Geneva Agreement, the 2005 Sept 19 Joint Declaration and the 2007 Feb 13 Agreement represented deals exchanging North Korean nuclear restraint for relief and were all products of dialogue. On the other hand, North Korea responded to the rise in tensions with the U.S. over the Banco Delta Asia issue with a long-range missile launch in July 2006, and its first nuclear test in October 2006. Even if one gets angry at North Korean provocations, dialogue remains the most realistic option.

Lee Myung-bak’s administration has condemned North Korea’s first nuclear test, attributing it to inter-Korean economic cooperation relations during Roh’s period, and has worked to differentiate itself from Roh Moo-hyun administration’s appeasement of North Korea by maintaining a policy of pressure on North Korea since its inauguration. North Korea’s second nuclear test shows us once again that pressure, rather than solving the North Korean nuclear issue, has just worsened the situation. During the Roh administration, when inter-Korean relations were better, the South Korean government at least had some room to negotiate a solution to the nuclear issue. In contrast, the Lee administration has completely lost any inter-Korean contact, and is in the worst position for negotiating the nuclear issue. North Korea informed both the U.S. and China of the second nuclear test just before it occurred, but the South Korean government had no idea. This has shown us a good example of how a Korean Peninsula issue is being solved without the South Korean government.

In response to this situation, the government has decided to fully participate in PSI, something North Korea says it would consider a “declaration of war.” Given North Korea’s past behavior, which regularly puts its words into action, it is clear that the possibility of an armed clash between the Koreas has grown. Even if this does not prove to be the case, the fate of the already-troubled Kaesong (Gaeseong) Industrial Complex will become even murkier and the release of the Hyundai Asan employee who is being detained by North Korea will become more difficult.

From the beginning, full-scale participation in PSI was not something to be discussed as a means to pressure North Korea. This is because it has nothing to do with a solution to the nuclear issue and will only worsen inter-Korean relations, although it might let the far right and conservatives who want to vent their wrath at North Korea feel better. In fact, full-scale participation in PSI will further narrow the South Korean government’s position to speak on the North Korea nuclear issue. This will be even moreso if the Obama administration steps up to engage in bilateral dialogue with North Korea. The Lee administration has made another bad move.

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