Starting tomorrow, the top negotiators to the six party talks will be meeting in Tokyo on the occasion of the Northeast Asia Cooperation Dialogue (NEACD). It will be something of an unofficial six party talks, and the event needs to be stepping stone on the way to a reopening of the six party process.
Responsibility for the long interruption in the talks lies with both North Korea and the United States. The North says it will not return to the talks unless the U.S. relaxes the economic sanctions it initiated because of the counterfeiting issue. While it is true that Pyongyang is suspicious about the goals of the sanctions, it is not advantageous to the North to link them to participation in the talks. Based on the joint statement of September 19 of last year is room for a lot of negotiation on what the North can be given in exchange for giving up its nuclear programs. That can include the economic sanctions and diverse forms of economic cooperation. On the other hand, if the talks do not get started again relations with the U.S. and for that matter the other participating nations will grow worse. About the counterfeiting issue as well, this meeting in Tokyo needs to produce better ideas about a resolution.
The greater responsibility lies with the U.S. Based on the assessment that sanctions are having an even bigger effect than expected, figures in the Bush Administration are openly seen to be in pursuit of Pyongyang's "surrender." You see moves that seem to be aimed at "regime change," while resolving the nuclear issue has taken a back seat. It almost looks like the defining principle of "diplomatic and peaceful resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue" has been lost in the process. The U.S. is disinterested in even having dialogue, as seen in its statement that it has no plans to talk with the North Koreans right now in Tokyo. That attitude will lead to a repeat of its mistake in the past, when vague hopes about a collapse of North Korea led to an uncompromising approach that only made the situation worse.
Our government needs to make the most of the Tokyo meeting in getting Pyongyang and Washington to the table. Depending on the situation, it might be worth considering another proposal like the "profound proposal" of spring of last year.
The Hankyoreh, 8 April 2006.
[Translations by Seoul Selection]
[Editorial] US Hard-Line Tactics Not The Only Way With NK |
