The Era of Crisis, Korea's Politics

Why couldn't the international community block the isolated and collapsing country from developing nuclear weapons? With the four major powers, the US, China, Russia, and Japan being deeply involved in the effort, North Korea is triumphantly touting its ability to fire missiles across the Pacific. How could this be possible? As an explanation for this mystery, I'm going to tell you the annals of diplomatic history which have caused this to happen and what South Korea can and must do to cope with this formidable situation.

Historically speaking, from the division of the peninsula to the outbreak of the Korean War, and now North Korea's acquisition of the "bomb", the Korean problem has always been handled consistently with gross negligence, misunderstanding, misjudgment, a lack of strategy, and paralysis. Korea was divided because the US was negligent after it invited Stalin to this peninsula. After Stalin broke the Soviet-Japanese Neutrality Pact and entered Korea, the US got flustered by the advancing Soviet forces and hastily drew the 38th parallel as the demarcation line between the US and Soviet occupation zones. The Korean War was also a similar case. In the same year China was made communist, the US pulled its troops from South Korea and excluded South Korea from the "US defense perimeter" in the Pacific. Five months later North Korea started the Korean War, a war that resulted in over 5 million casualties. About the nuclear program, in 2002, President Bush declared North Korea a member of the "Axis-of-Evil." However, he did nothing but tempt North Korea to prompt its nuclear weapons development, fixing his attention on Afghanistan and Iraq. For long stretches of time, North Korea was a "problem," but not a "crisis." But first and foremost, we Koreans blame ourselves. What have we Koreans done while the superpowers were putting aside or exploiting North Korean matters? Korean leaders have been preoccupied with holding summits with the North Korean leader. Some said North Korea had neither the will, nor the capability to develop nuclear weapons. When the US confronted the North Koreans with evidence that they were developing highly enriched uranium, top advisors to the South Korean president accused the US of creating a crisis by making unfounded accusations, thus becoming North Korea's advocates. During 10 years of "Sunshine Policy," South Korea transferred nearly 10 billion dollars worth of cash, goods, and aid to North Korea.

Applying Aesop's fable "the North Wind and the Sun," South Korea willingly supplied the opportunities and resources to equip North Korea with nuclear bombs and long-range missiles. Now, we're in the state of desperately finding ways to escape from this formidable predicament.

The new administration of President Park Geun-hye plans to launch its "trust politik." However, its success will depend on whether we have a powerful deterrent. The international community also needs to make the denucleariation of North Korea its highest priority.

The following options are what I'm suggesting to solve this urgent situation.

First, US tactical nuclear weapons that were withdrawn in 1991 should be re- introduced to South Korea.

Second, the agreement between South Korea and the US to transfer wartime operation control to South Korean forces in 2015 should be nullified.

Third, in this time of crisis, plans to move the US 2nd Infantry Division south of the Han River, should be stopped.

Fourth, threatened by a nuclear state, South Korea should consider withdrawing from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty as stipulated in article 10 of the treaty. By doing this, we can develop our own nuclear capability in a way comparable to that of North Korea.

Fifth, dialogue can and should be an option with the condition that denuclearization is at the top of the agenda.

The ultimate option is the fundamental change in the North Korean regime as it happened in China. The denuclearization of the Korean peninsula will be the last hurdle before the peaceful reunification of Korea. Let Koreans keep their miracle by wisely overcoming this hurdle. We need our own people and our neighboring countries to help by converging on this.

Thank you.

Translation by Soo Jung Kang President of Salt & Light Education