[Editorial] North Korea ought to immediately stop committing provocations

Posted on : 2016-02-04 12:09 KST Modified on : 2016-02-04 12:09 KST
North Korea‘s Unha-3 rocket lifts off from the Sohae launching station in Tongchang-ri
North Korea‘s Unha-3 rocket lifts off from the Sohae launching station in Tongchang-ri

North Korea’s notification to international bodies on Feb. 2 about its plans to launch a long-range rocket with a satellite payload is a new provocation. It is also an obstinate act of defiance against the international community, which has been talking about imposing even tougher sanctions against North Korea following its abrupt nuclear test on Jan. 6.

North Korea ought to immediately stop committing provocations involving long-range rockets, which will obviously only worsen the situation.

The North contends that peaceful development of space technology is a legal right of sovereign states that is recognized by international law. In its notification on Feb. 2, Pyongyang also said that it would be launching a terrestrial observation satellite called Gwangmyeongseong between Feb. 8 and Feb. 25, in line with the regime’s space development plan.

But in terms of its technical specifications, a long-range rocket - the launch vehicle used to put satellites into orbit - is virtually identical to an ICBM (intercontinental ballistic rocket). Supplemented with the technology to insert a nuclear warhead back into the atmosphere, such a rocket could become a strategic weapon aimed at the US or other countries.

Another problem is that a resolution by the UN Security Council bans North Korea from using any launch vehicle that incorporates ballistic rocket technology.

The announcement of plans to launch a satellite under the current circumstances reveals the rashness of the regime in Pyongyang. This will only make the North more isolated and fuel the discussion of sanctions in the international community.

The reason that the North Korean regime is pressing forward with a rocket launch despite its knowledge of these facts is because its priority is the political advantages of internal cohesion. To be sure, successfully hosting the 7th Congress of the Korean Workers’ Party in May is an important goal.

But internal unity that turns the international community into an enemy will ultimately work against the North Korean regime. Furthermore, greater isolation is incompatible with improving the people’s quality of life, an issue on which North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has placed great emphasis of late.

North Korea’s neighbors must not just look on as the regime launches another long-range rocket. China in particular must take a clear stance to prevent Pyongyang from drawing the wrong conclusion. On this point, an important role should be played by Wu Dawei, China’s special representative for Korean Peninsula affairs, who arrived in North Korea on Feb. 2.

While it goes without saying that South Korea and the US should send warning messages to North Korea, that by itself is not enough. Both Seoul and Washington need to take steps to manage the situation, whether this is through China or through unofficial channels.

This year, the situation around the Korean Peninsula has been rapidly deteriorating. While the primary responsibility of course lies with North Korea, given its reckless behavior, this does not absolve the North’s neighbors from all responsibility.

While responding in a clear fashion to North Korea’s bad behavior, we must also diligently try to find a fundamental solution. Preventing North Korea from launching a long-range rocket could be the starting point for untying the complicated knot of problems related to North Korea.

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