Leaders Differ on North Korea

[milmor_1]

Leaders differ on N Korea

Wednesday October 11th 2006

Leaders differ on N Korea - Irish Independent

Neighbouring states fear chaos if dictator toppled in wake of nuclear test



THE prospects for tough, swift action against North Korea were scuppered yesterday when it became clear that South Korea will not abandon its policy of engagement with its totalitarian neighbour, in spite of its claimed nuclear test.

As the US and Japan called for tough punishment for Monday's test and experts predicted that a second may be imminent, leaders in Seoul appeared to have accepted that they will have to live with a nuclear North Korea - at least until Washington can be persuaded to engage in direct talks with Pyongyang.

"Let's face the reality: North Korea is a nuclear power and it won't be easy to change that," said Moon Chung In, a professor of political science who is also an ambassador at large for the South Korean government. "We could have prevented it, but the US would not. Now we've got to learn how to live with it."

"Negative Impact"

Chinese foreign officials in Beijing spoke of the "negative impact" the test had had on their relations with North Korea in an unprecedented shift.

But in New York, where the diplomatic aftershocks of the test are being negotiated, profound differences among the five veto-wielding members of the UN Security Council were becoming more apparent.

China's ambassador to the UN, Wang Guangya, said that it supported punitive actions. But he said that these must be "constructive, appropriate but prudent". And China balked at the idea of giving any UN resolution teeth, a sign that it would not tolerate anything that would destabilise the region by toppling the North Korean government.

"Complicated Negotiations"

To complicate negotiations, Russia's UN ambassador was initially without instructions from Moscow about how to proceed.

Even before this week, the US and Japan have favoured the most aggressive action against North Korea, but they have been frustrated by China, South Korea and Russia who seek a stable continuation of Kim Jong Il's regime rather than the chaos and refugee exodus that could result from his overthrow.

The US appears to have recognised this. Yesterday, its UN ambassador, John Bolton, an outspoken enemy of the Pyongyang regime, circulated a draft resolution which proposes banning all sales of arms and nuclear technology to and from North Korea as well as involvement with Mr Kim's money-launderers and drug smugglers.

It also bans the sale of "luxury items" - clearly directed at Mr Kim, known to have a taste for fine wines and Hennessy cognac.

"We're not at that point [a maritime blockade] yet," Mr Bolton said. "We keep the military option on the table, but President Bush has been very clear he wants this resolved peacefully and diplomatically."

But a shipping blockade could work only with the co-operation of the South's military, and it is clear that that will not be granted by the government of President Roh Moo Hyun.

Rather than the urgent action spoken of by the US and Japan, Mr Roh speaks of an extended period of "co-ordination" intended to build consensus among the countries that have been trying to bring Pyongyang to the negotiating table.