[Editorial] Pyongyang must join informal six-party talks |
The international response to North Korea’s missile test launch falls into two categories. One is to apply direct pressure and sanctions, and the other is an effort to achieve a fundamental resolution to more than just the immediate crisis, the North’s missiles and its nuclear development. These two approaches might converge in the future, but in order to completely solve the issue, the latter method is more important.
Chinese vice foreign minister Wu Dawei went to Pyongyang on Monday for festivities marking the 45th anniversary of a friendship treaty between the two neighbors. He is expected to meet with North Korean officials and ask that the country participate in China’s idea of unofficial six-party talks, a proposal that would be something of a compromise between the United States’ insistence that Pyongyang participate in the six-party talks without condition and the North’s call for direct dialogue with the Americans. Top U.S. delegate to the talks, assistant secretary of state Christopher Hill, says his country is willing to participate in that kind of format. North Korea needs to come to these talks and clear up each country’s concerns about the North’s missile firings. Pyongyang would be able to talk directly with the U.S about the current financial sanctions. If it were to refuse to come to the table now, its decision will only be interpreted as a desire to pursue isolation and confrontation.
The move to enact sanctions against North Korea, an effort led by Japan and the U.S. that has increased since the missile firings, is to some degree excessive. The draft resolution Japan has submitted to the United Nations Security Council calls for the North to stop missile development, for the blocking of all financial support related to missile development, and the prohibition of any and all missile purchases from North Korea. That is a level of action taken against countries committing serious terrorist or illegal military activities. Members of the Japanese government are openly suggesting the need for a preemptive strike. The U.S. is more interested in sanctions, despite the fact that U.S. president George W. Bush says he wants a diplomatic solution. Such moves, based on a hard-line stance, are undesirable in that they could very likely bring about ruin instead of achieving the ultimate goal of resolving the issue of the North’s nukes and missiles.
Of course, unofficial six-party talks are not going to be a panacea. The six-party process has been stalled for some time now, and "unofficial" talks would be nothing more than a temporary means to continue the current momentum. However, if tensions are going to be quieted and there is to be a step made in the right direction, the parties participating in the talks need to get together and work things out. North Korea needs to realize that if fails to show up at either official or unofficial talks, those talks could easily become five-party talks at which the topic of discussion is ways to pressure Pyongyang.
