[Editorial] Provocative Behavior from American Hard-Liners

The actions of hard-liners in the United States seeking to apply more pressure on North Korea are getting excessive. The situation is such that if things continue they could hurt the larger principle of diplomatically and peacefully resolving the North Korean nuclear issue.

It was quite provocative for the U.S. embassy to have issued press material different from our government's explanation about the visit by U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes Daniel Glaser and his entourage. The embassy claimed that when Glaser met with Korean government officials he asked that Seoul work harder to isolate North Korea financially. The government, however, says that it was never urged to do so, either officially or unofficially. Unless it is lying, the only view left to take is that the Americans attempted a tactless media spin. The right order of business would be to first produce positive evidence about counterfeiting activities by North Korea and talk about isolation later.

Ever since last Fall the U.S. Treasury Department and the U.S. embassy in Seoul have essentially played the role of spearhead for American hard-liners who repudiate the effectiveness of negotiations with Pyongyang. The Treasury Department has been absorbed in mobilizing various means to squeeze the North's money line. Though he is not even the U.S. State Department official responsible for North Korea, American ambassador Alexander Vershbow attacked the North and earned public criticism for it a "criminal regime." All that kind of behavior does is worsen the nuclear crisis by making it harder to restart the six party talks.

Our government's approach to the situation has become more important. About the counterfeiting issue, it needs to pursue a reasonable solution about that which has been made clear. But it also needs to draw a clear line in front of provocations by hard-liners, and it is in that sense it is inappropriate for the government to have agreed to partial participation in the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI), which is led by the hard-liners. The joint statement of September 19 did not come for free. All the nations participating in the six party talks have a responsibility to work in good faith to make progress on implementing the joint statement.

The Hankyoreh, 26 January 2006.

[Translations by Seoul Selection]