hankyoreh

The USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier coming into Busan port while participating in South Korea-US military exercises

Rumors of a crisis on the Korean Peninsula in April have been rapidly spreading. Following speculation about North Korean leader Kim Jong-un going into exile and the US launching a preemptive strike on North Korea, the latest rumor is that international companies are preparing to pull out of South Korea. Apparently derived from gossip rags, these rumors are all groundless. But there’s a sense in which such wild speculation is being driven by the daily drumbeat in the American media about tensions on the Korean Peninsula and by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s remarks that “all of the options” were discussed in the US-China summit.

Since North Korea’s major holidays are concentrated in April, the month has seen speculation of crisis every year. Tensions have been ratcheted up as the American carrier strike group under the USS Carl Vinson took the unusual step of moving back toward the Korean peninsula just a fortnight after departing. Anxiety has been increased by the lack of tangible progress toward resolving Korean Peninsula issues during the US-China summit and by the US missile strike on Syria. Furthermore, the US administration under President Donald Trump and the North Korean regime under Kim Jong-un are less predictable than any previous governments.

Another contributing factor is that the South Korean government is currently unable to make its voice heard. “It’s important to deal with foreign policy and security issues in a calm and consistent fashion,” said South Korean Prime Minister and acting president Hwang Kyo-ahn on Apr. 11. He sounded as if he were talking about someone else’s job. South Korea’s Foreign Ministry dismissed rumors about the US launching a preemptive strike on North Korea and said that talk of a crisis was “groundless.” But the remarks about the Korean Peninsula made by Trump and other senior American policymakers make us wonder how closely they’re discussing these matters with the South Korean Government and how carefully they’re considering the South Korean position.

Rather than telling the public not to worry, the South Korean government needs to be plainly requesting both the US and North Korea to refrain from actions that would raise military tensions on the Korean Peninsula. The mere fact that rumors are swirling about a crisis is undesirable for South Korea. It not only gives the Korean Peninsula a bad reputation but also has a direct and immediate impact on finances and the economy. It would be perfectly reasonable for the South Korean government to tell the US that, if it’s really our ally, it should refrain from words and actions that increase military tensions so as not to place its ally in a difficult position.

Apr. 15 is called the Day of the Sun in North Korea, as it’s the birthday of Kim Il-sung. Several times in the past, North Korea has launched rockets on the day, and there are indications of that sort this year as well. But such actions will only raise tensions and make the situation even worse. Rather than seeking the security of the regime through military provocations, Pyongyang should seek peace on the Korean Peninsula by coming to the table for talks.

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