hankyoreh

Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Yu Myung-hwan gave an unexpectedly conciliatory response to The Hankyoreh’s lead story on Friday, which said that the government is considering full participation in the Proliferation Security Initiative if North Korea goes ahead with the launch of what it says is a “satellite” early next month.

Yu did not avoid answering the barrage of questions asking for the government’s response. This is in stark contrast with what a government official from the previous administration might have said in the past, when the administration struggled to dismiss media reports about what it thought of as a sensitive diplomatic issue. Whereas the previous administration may have said the report had gone too far or that the government would adhere to its North Korea policy by maintaining its status in the PSI as an observer, Yu said, “The North’s missile launch will highlight the non-proliferation issue and the need (for the South) to participate in the PSI, which is intended to curb the spread of weapons of mass destruction.”

Similar remarks were heard from a Defense Ministry official, who said, “We agree that we have to expand our role in the PSI since the North’s nukes and missiles are WMDs and the PSI’s main objective is to prevent their proliferation.”

Opposition lawmakers and North Korea experts say that the government is trying to use the North’s scheduled missile launch as an opportunity to fully participate in the anti-proliferation initiative, and some are raising questions about what could be behind such a move.

Kim Yeon-cheol, the head of The Hankyoreh Peace Institute, said, “The agreement on inter-Korean marine transport is intended not just to promote maritime cooperation but also to prevent maritime military clashes.

“The South’s participation in the PSI could prompt an outcry from the North and invalidate the marine transport agreement, raising the likelihood of military clashes as a result.”

Kim also said that the South’s full participation in the PSI would be akin to bringing international joint military operations into Korea’s territorial waters. “It would cause a backlash not just from the North but form China and Russia as well.”

South Korea participates in the PSI as an observer, engaging in only five of the PSI’s eight activities. Full participation would involve participation in the remaining three activities: offering material support for arms interdiction drills within the region, providing material support for such exercises outside the region, and formally declaring its participation.

Some critics say that the South’s full participation in the PSI would bring South Korea more harm than benefit, and the government’s interest in full participation is a knee-jerk reaction that is meant to incur sanctions on the North.

A researcher from a state-run think tank said, “The negative impact is obvious but the benefits are not clear.” He also indicated that South Korea’s participation in the PSI would increase the chances of military clashes with the North and have a negative impact on Pyongyang’s attitude toward the six-party talks aimed at dismantling its nuclear weapons.

Other experts have echoed his remarks, cautioning against full participation in the PSI because South and North Korea already have a maritime agreement that bars military activities, submarine operations, intelligence gathering, weapons shipping and fishing activities in the territorial waters of each country. The agreement also says that if those are violated, ships could be stopped, searched and expelled. Full participation of PSI would counter the agreement.

Some even worry that the South could be sidelined in international efforts to engage the North. Former Unification Minister Jeong Se-hyun said, “If the North goes ahead with its missile launch, the U.S. will likely seek international sanctions, while at the same time continuing to pursue dialogue with the North. If the government takes hard line measures based on an emotional reaction, such as full participation in the PSI, I wonder if it will be able to deal with the consequences.”

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