U.S. ambassador Alexander Vershbow has again issued some hard-line comments about North Korea, namely that North Korea “provide evidence that the equipment and the plates for the so-called supernotes have been destroyed.” Two months ago he caused a controversy for calling Pyongyang a “criminal regime.”
There are several problems with Vershbow’s speech habits. To begin with, he is not the man responsible for U.S. policy towards North Korea. The U.S. and Korea are engaged in close consultations over issues relating to the North such as the six party talks and the counterfeiting problem. All require delicate policy decisions, so the fact that the ambassador talks ahead of himself like that reflects an arrogant attitude that does not take Korea seriously.
His comments themselves are inappropriate. Several concerned countries are trying hard to resolve the counterfeiting issue. Ri Gun of the North Korean foreign ministry is pursuing the idea of a visiting the U.S. to find a way to settle on the facts and resolve the issue. The ambassador’s comments put a chill on the mood. By judging ahead of time something that can only be determined if the U.S. presents evidence the North then admits to in the course of contact between the two countries, he makes it less necessary to meet at all.
His behavior could also be a negative influence towards restarting the six party talks. As long as there are elements in the U.S. government who that think more pressure needs to be applied on Pyongyang there will inevitably be linkage between the counterfeiting issue and restarting the talks, and whether or not the talks begin again depends on how much trust exists between the Americans and the North Koreans. Instead of working to increase mutual confidence, Vershbow is contributing to the distrust.
If the U.S. is sure the North is counterfeiting dollars, meeting with the Northerners would be the the proper and quicker way to find a solution to the problem. Having the U.S. ambassador do what he’s doing right now does nothing in the way of helping the situation. Vershbow needs to know that his arrogance makes resolving the problems more difficult.
The Hankyoreh, 17 February 2006.
[Translations by Seoul Selection]
[Editorial] U.S. Ambassador Vershbow’s Arrogance |
