North Korea rescinds its promise to allow nuclear inspectors into the country. (APP)
How they see us: Can Obama tame North Korea?
North Korea has already begun testing Barack Obama, said Kang Chun-suk in the Seoul Chosun Ilbo. All last week, it did the equivalent of “kicking down doors, smashing windows, throwing its body against the walls, and knocking over the furniture.” To be more precise, Pyongyang suddenly announced that it would not allow international inspectors to take samples from its nuclear facilities, even though it had agreed to do so just last month. Then, for good measure, it declared that it was halting all border crossings and telephone communications with South Korea. Clearly, North Korea fears that it has become a low priority for an incoming Obama administration that will have to deal with the global financial crisis, the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, rising unemployment, and the Iranian nuclear program. “The size of the U.S. cake is shrinking, so Pyongyang may well be hoping to get some attention before it turns into a mere cookie.”
Pyongyang is right to see an opportunity in Obama, said Lee Byong-chul in the Seoul Korea Times. Under President Bush, U.S. relations with North Korea worsened considerably because of Bush’s “unsound judgment” about North Korean leader Kim Jong Il. Bush tried to bully Kim, threatening “regime change” and refusing to negotiate unless Kim unilaterally abandoned his nuclear weapons program. The result, of course, was that North Korea accelerated its weapons programs during the Bush years. Obama, by contrast, “is likely to establish high-level contacts with North Korea” right away.
Let’s hope Obama doesn’t move too fast, said the Seoul Dong-a Ilbo. His “well-intentioned proposal” to talk to Pyongyang “could hinder the six-party talks”—the forum in which the U.S., Japan, China, Russia, and North and South Korea have been carefully negotiating the North Korean nuclear issue for years. Obama should certainly make overtures to Kim, but “direct talks must come only when the United States is sure that they will lead to the denuclearization of the North.” More than anything, Kim wants recognition and validation, and that should be a reward for good behavior, not an outright gift.
It’s not just the U.S. that must be careful, said Kim Jong-cheol in the Seoul Hankyoreh. South Korea, too, needs to rethink its strategy toward the North. South Korean President Lee Myung-bak has been echoing Bush’s hard line against Kim. Lee has halted trade and tourism projects and has allowed civic groups to send inflammatory propaganda leaflets to the North. This “slump in inter-Korean relations” could easily result in our being sidelined. “Pyongyang could just as well decide to ignore Seoul and move to improve relations with just the United States.” To avoid such an outcome, Lee will have to abandon his Bush-like ways and become more flexible and pragmatic—like Obama.
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We have been going about this in the wrong way! Right now, Kim Jong Il wants recognition as a viable leader, which means international recognition - we must embarass his regime in front of the international community by exposing the grotesque and bloody concentration camps, especially the largest one near the Russian border, where human experimention has been taking place - this will invite international condemnation and the US should play a role in making a high profile visit by way of Dandong, traveling across the Yalu River instead of flying into Pyongyang - the whole world will be watching as the atrocities are exposed - no longer will the DPRK have any allies and the regime will be brought down without a single shot being fired. We should do this soon, as crackdowns on dissidents are mounting - we should simultaneously support mass defections, as well as condemning China for its policy of repatriation to DPRK. The focus on the nuclear issue only rallies more support for the DPRK from similarly situated countries (eg former Soviet Bloc countries). By focusing intead on exposing the Nazi-like concentration camps, that same support will go away and world pressure will down the regime.
We have been going about this in the wrong way! Right now, Kim Jong Il wants recognition as a viable leader, which means international recognition - we must embarass his regime in front of the international community by exposing the grotesque and bloody concentration camps, especially the largest one near the Russian border, where human experimention has been taking place - this will invite international condemnation and the US should play a role in making a high profile visit by way of Dandong, traveling across the Yalu River instead of flying into Pyongyang - the whole world will be watching as the atrocities are exposed - no longer will the DPRK have any allies and the regime will be brought down without a single shot being fired. We should do this soon, as crackdowns on dissidents are mounting - we should simultaneously support mass defections, as well as condemning China for its policy of repatriation to DPRK. The focus on the nuclear issue only rallies more support for the DPRK from similarly situated countries (eg former Soviet Bloc countries). By focusing intead on exposing the Nazi-like concentration camps, that same support will go away and world pressure will bring down the regime.
Our policy in assessing North Korea here in the US is focused on whether North Korea has nuclear weapons or not, rather than focusing on whether North Korea has done right by their citizenry or not - shameful...an unconscionable US policy at best. I agree with many others that the US and the rest of the world should act now without further delay - too much damage has already been done by allowing the death camps to run freely for half a century through 2008, even after Hitler's Nazi and Stalin's USSR! Although not a very religious person myself, I can't help thinking that the defector, Shin Dong Hyok is a godsend; in his recent visit with certain North Korean delegates to the UN, the North Korean delegates were literally shaking when they met him, knowing that he had survived camp no. 14, to tell the US about the horrors of his concentration camp experience - his story is one of innocence intact, not broken-spiritedness, and therefore a powerful weapon to be used in our negotiations with the DPRK regime The highest-ranking North Korean official who defected in 2002-2003 said that the way to successfully deal with the DPRK is to use as a bargaining chip the exposure of the network of death camps concealed by the DPRK (concealed just as Nazi Germany did during WWII). This man knows what he’s talking about – he’s adamant enough to have paid an immeasurable price for it – the persecution of his own family, still in the DPRK. Why aren’t we listening to him? We have the satellite technology – we must use it before it’s too late.
Obama should use his presidential status to publicly laud Kang Chol-Hwan, defector and author of "Aquariums of Pyongyang". Bush tried to, but the mainstream media never reported it -we need to find out why. Just as Aleksandr Solzhenitzyn was lauded and given mainstream media attentionwith respect to the USSR, we need to do the same with respect to the DPRK.
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