[Column] Peace is possible, if America can change its perception of North Korea

Posted on : 2019-02-20 16:45 KST Modified on : 2019-02-20 16:45 KST
Conventional US wisdom on the North is outdated and irrelevant
Harry J. Kazianis
Harry J. Kazianis

Over the coming days there will be no shortage of pundit predictions on what will occur during the second summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Hanoi. Here in Washington, the overwhelming mainstream consensus is that the meeting will be nothing more than reality TV, or just a ploy by the Trump administration to change the conversation in the media cycle away from current domestic challenges like the recent budget battle or something else just over the horizon—think the impending Mueller report. Some even think Trump is so desperate to get a “win” he could make unprecedented concessions foolishly.

But such narrow-minded thinking only dismisses what could be possible: that this summit could not only become a new beginning for US-North Korea relations but finally end the Korean War. It could also open the door to a slow and steady denuclearization of North Korea as well as solidify a growing sense of hope that the Korean Peninsula will not be divided forever.

There is only one thing, at least in my mind, that can stop all of this from happening. You see, Americans to this day still refuse to see North Korea as it is, only seeing it as they want it to be. To be more specific, they want to cast Pyongyang as an evil, Nazi-like regime that is just on the cusp of gaining a nuclear deterrent and is hell-bent on reuniting the Korean Peninsula by coercion or force.

I know this viewpoint well, as until the summer of last year, it was my own. However, after deep reflection with a consideration of what could happen if current diplomatic efforts fail, a spiral back to the dark days of “fire and fury” and threats of nuclear war, I can say I was wrong.

To put it simply, the North Korea of today is very different than the one of just 20, 10 or even five years ago. While the North is clearly no human rights panacea and there is certainly a vast disregard of personal freedoms, the individual and anything that opposes the state, we can see small but important changes in North Korean society. Capitalism is slowly but surely taking root in small market places around the country as well as in fishing, agriculture and other industries. Cell phone use has exploded, and while greatly restricted, citizens in Pyongyang and other parts of the country can text each other and surf the North Korean version of the internet. With Chairman Kim seemingly interested in economic revitalization, there is hope for the first time in a generation or more that the plight of the average North Korean can get better—something most Americans fail to see.

The reality of North Korea’s nuclear capabilities

Of course, that leads to the other thing most of my countrymen don’t want to discuss: Pyongyang’s growing nuclear weapons arsenal that can or is close to having the capability to strike the US homeland, all to ensure that regime change by Washington is impossible. I can’t tell you how many debates I have been involved in where fellow US experts feel as if Washington still has more time to stop the DPRK from building a viable nuclear deterrent—sometimes even embarrassing themselves in front of millions of television viewers. While it may make Americans uncomfortable or downright scared, North Korea can kill millions of people in Asia and at the very least strike US bases and islands with its atomic arsenal. It may be painful to admit, but that is reality.

The good news is that if US negotiators can accept these two truths about the character and capabilities of the North, then there is a clear path to lasting peace in the Hanoi summit. First, it should be clear that both sides—and I would hope China and South Korea as well—would sign a peace declaration ending the Korean War. This is no concession on anyone’s part and should be the foundation to a new relationship between Washington and Pyongyang, a marker to the entire world that old wounds on both sides are beginning the long and yet important process of healing.

Next, when it comes to denuclearization, as Kim has already put the Yongbyon nuclear facilities on the table, Washington can and should offer corresponding measures in the form of sanctions relief to ease pressure on North Korea’s economy. While the scope and scale of such relief will be tricky to determine, Washington can craft an action for action arrangement long desired by the North that can build trust and allow each side to test each other’s sincerity.

The importance of simple dialogue

Finally, both sides should establish liaison offices to communicate effectively and quickly. Imagine if another crisis were on the cusp of breaking out and could easily be averted through simple dialogue. I have heard many times from US and North Korean diplomats how hard it is just to have simple conversations. That must change.

Of course, none of this can happen unless Washington is able to change how it looks at Pyongyang. That won’t be easy after seven decades of tension and mistrust but is necessary if we are to achieve something truly historic in the coming days.

By Harry J. Kazianis

Harry J. Kazianis is the director of Korea Studies at the Center for the National Interest, a non-partisan think-tank in Washington, DC, and executive editor of its publishing arm, The National Interest.

The views presented in this column are the writer’s own, and do not necessarily reflect those of The Hankyoreh.

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

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