South Korea Denounces US Pressure On Stalinist North

Independent (UK) ^ | 12-31-2002 | Phil Reeves

[blam]

South Korea denounces US pressure on Stalinist North

By Phil Reeves Asia Correspondent
31 December 2002

Washington's plan to use economic pressure to stop North Korea from restarting its nuclear plants – seen by the CIA as nuclear warhead factories – has been rejected as ineffective by South Korea.

The outgoing President, Kim Dae Jung, and his successor poured scorn on the American strategy yesterday, saying it would not persuade Pyongyang to change tack.

America is seeking to use "tailored containment" against North Korea to stop Pyongyang fulfilling threats to reactivate its nuclear programme, including plants that can produce large amounts of weapons-grade plutonium.

The strategy failed to impress President Kim, who leaves office in February. In remarks that underscore the rift between the Bush administration and Seoul, President Kim told his cabinet: "Pressure and isolation have never worked with Communist countries – Cuba is one example."

His newly elected replacement, Roh Moo Hyun – an advocate of Seoul's "sunshine policy" of dialogue and aid with the North– criticised Washington's attitude, saying it would only serve to aggravate differences. North Korea is likely to welcome the gap between the US and South Korea, which it has been seeking to widen.

Today, inspectors from the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), are due to leave North Korea. Their expulsion is the latest instalment in a worsening stand-off, which has seen the North Koreans move to start up activities at their sprawling nuclear complex at Yongbyon, which had been frozen under a 1994 agreement. The IAEA was monitoring the freeze.

Many hundreds of fuel rods have been moved into storage areas, ready to be used to fire up a Soviet-era atomic reactor there, which US intelligence believes can make enough plutonium for one warhead a year.

The North Koreans also said they intended to start up a plutonium-producing reprocessing plant at the site. This has caused concern because they have 8,000 spent fuel rods in storage, which the CIA believes could provide material for up to five bombs. They also disabled IAEA security seals and surveillance cameras.

In a further sign of dissent, North Korea hinted it might pull out of the treaty on the non- proliferation of nuclear weap-ons, which seeks to confine nuclear weapons to the United States, Russia, Britain, France and China. North Korea signed the treaty in 1985, although the Americans believe it has made at least one nuclear bomb since.

Despite this, America has played down the stand-off, arguing there is not yet a crisis. It is pushing the case for economic, rather than military, pressure but has ruled out direct talks unless Pyongyang reimposes the freeze on its nuclear activities.

Fears abound in South Korea – which is within range of the North's artillery – that playing hardball with the regime of Kim Jong Il will prove counterproductive, resulting in the Stalinist state taking a more intransigent and dangerous line.

Some South Korean analysts believe President George Bush's decision to include the North in his "axis of evil" played a central part in aggravating relations in the region.

These misgivings have meshed with an upsurge of anti-American sentiment in South Korea, fuelled by anger at the acquittal by a US military tribunal of two American soldiers involved in a car crash that killed two schoolgirls.

The United States will send James Kelly, the assistant secretary of state, to South Korea next month to try to smooth over the wrinkles in its relationship with Seoul, which it sees as a close ally. America has stationed about 37,000 troops in the country.

Meanwhile, South Korea is looking for help from China and Russia.

The latter has been openly critical of Washington's decision to cut off fuel oil aid to North Korea in retaliation for Pyongyang's secret uranium-enriching project.

But yesterday Moscow balanced this criticism with denouncements of North Korea's decision to expel the IAEA inspectors and reactivate its nuclear programme.

[blam]

Seoul refuses to back Bush policy on N Korea

By Toby Harnden in Washington
The Telegraph (UK)
(Filed: 31/12/2002)

South Korea sharply diverged from the Bush administration's policy on North Korea yesterday, saying Washington's policy of economic pressure and isolation would fail.

Kim Dae-jung

President Kim Dae-jung, whose "sunshine policy" of engagement with Pyongyang has been derided by some White House officials, said direct engagement with the Stalinist state was the only way to relieve tension.

"We cannot go to war with North Korea and we can't go back to the Cold War system and extreme confrontation," he told his cabinet.

Mr Kim was speaking as two United Nations arms inspectors prepared to leave Yongbyon, the nuclear complex re-opened by North Korea in defiance of American demands for it to abide by a 1994 agreement to abandon its pursuit of atomic weapons.

In a carefully phrased swipe at America, Mr Kim said: "Pressure and isolation have never been successful with Communist countries - Cuba is one example.

"We will work closely with our allies to solve this problem and we will firmly oppose North Korea's nuclear arms programme but, no matter what, we will pursue a peaceful solution."

South Korea's stance has further complicated an already intensely difficult problem for President George W Bush as he seeks to quell a fresh crisis while moving towards war with Iraq early next year.

The dilemma Mr Bush faces was underlined over the weekend when Washington proposed a new policy of "tailored containment" that would isolate North Korea economically and at the same time suggested that a form of negotiations might begin.

White House officials have spoken of exerting such pressure on Pyongyang that Kim Jong-il's regime would collapse, an intention that has alarmed China and South Korea, which fear a destabilisation of the region.

But Colin Powell, the US secretary of state, said: "We have channels open. They know how to contact us." This indicated that the Bush administration was willing to modify its previous stance of refusing to deal with Pyongyang.

Mr Kim is due to hand over power in February to the president-elect, Roh Moo-hyun, a moderate who defeated the conservative Lee Hoi-chang, who stood on a platform of getting tough with Pyongyang.

North Korea, identified by Mr Bush as part of an "axis of evil" with Iran and Iraq, has an army of 1.1 million, the world's fifth largest. America has 37,000 troops stationed in South Korea.

Russia has toughened its tone towards North Korea, condemning the resumption of its Cold War ally's nuclear programme as a move that "cannot help but provoke regret".

But Igor Ivanov, the Russian foreign minister, also demanded that Washington must tone down its "aggressive rhetoric and threats" towards Pyongyang.

[For the Unborn]

I can think of a couple of carefully-phrased swipes the US could take at the pissants in that part of the world. They are as ineffectual as the UN playing footsie with every dictator and monster on the planet.

[teletech]

Maybe its time we bring the troops home from South Korea and let the chips fall where they may.

[stevem]

Maybe its time we bring the troops home from South Korea and let the chips fall where they may.

This has been necessary for 10 years, at least. I think the good guys have about 40,000 people in South Korea. Seems to me they could be used very much more efficiently somewhere else.

[MainFrame65]

Tell the South Koreans that we will be happy to put our troops where they can better support American objectives, if they are not eagerly welcomed where they are. The presence of atomic weapons in the hands of the likes of Kim Jong-Il transforms our SK troops from a trip-wire to a group of hostages, anyway.

Pulling our troops would tell the South that they better start living in the real world. And it would tell the Chinese that if they dont keep a tight hold on the leash holding their mad dog, they will be responsible for the mess it makes.

[LibFreeUSA]

AGREED!!! Let's bring these troops home from this totally ungrateful country - and let the S. Koreans defend themselves if they have a better plan!

Bring all 50,000 of them back, and put them where they have a better use in defending our country - on the Mexican border!

[teletech]

This has been necessary for 10 years, at least. I think the good guys have about 40,000 people in South Korea. Seems to me they could be used very much more efficiently somewhere else.

Ya, like on our borders!

[Inkie]

If I read this correctly, these people are the most ungrateful on earth.

[paul544]

I'm as big a Bush fan as anyone, but between Venezuela, Iraq, and now N. Korea, I don't see the need to actively pick a fight. We could at any time have exposed DRNK for what they are. The economy needs some stability before we start a nuclear stare down. These 3 issues are HEAVILY weighing on the economy and the minds of Americans. I know he is just following Reagan's blueprint, but one war at a time. If the economy is in this shape next this year, all the Foreign Policy in the world ain't gunna help him.

[Crossbow Eel]

So we let rouge countries sign agreements and treaties and then when they say they don't want to play anymore we just ignore them. What would these idiots say about the USA if we did the same?

They signed the agreement and they broke the agreement-simple !

The ROK wants it both ways and is bluffing with a pair of twos and against a full house hoping it can use America's straight flush if they can't bluff/win with the two's !

I've been to South Korea over 25 times and their issue with the USA is because we didn't give them nearly as much aid as we did the Japanese. Older Koreans hate Japanese and older Japanese hate the Koreans and the Koreans blame the USA for their problems from over 50 years ago.

"South Korea sharply diverged from the Bush administration's policy on North Korea yesterday, saying Washington's policy of economic pressure and isolation would fail"

OK so what's your answer mr Kim?

[Happy2BMe]

"Meanwhile, South Korea is looking for help from China and Russia."

We have worn out our welcome in the Land of The Morning Sun.

Ugly AmeriKan! Go Home!

Why not oblige them?

[Happy2BMe]

"This has been necessary for 10 years, at least. I think the good guys have about 40,000 people in South Korea."

If by the "good guys" you mean the United States, we have 37,000 troops stationed in S.K.

This place has been such an incredible poweder keg for so many year (at least since the Korean Armistice) it is just a miracle it hasn't blown already.

Funny. The S. Koreans still bear a deep hatred of Japan for it's occupation for over 50 years prior to WWII.

The Japanese pillaged S.K., cut down all the trees and exported them to Japan, forced the S. Koreans to speak only Japanese, and taxed them heavily.

It appears we are now being seen by many S. Koreans as no more than occupationists.

[koax]

they still want us to buy their electronics and daiwoo-woos, tho'.

[Happy2BMe]

"If I read this correctly, these people are the most ungrateful on earth."

Yes, and no.

The entire political and military landscape has changed dramatically since the fall of the Soviet Union in December of '91.

With the Cold War gone, S. Korea feels it is in a better position to shape it's own destiny without the need for American intervention.

I was there in '79 when President Park was assasinated and N.Korea threatened invasion (with the backing of China and the Soviet Union).

I asked a Korean acquaintence what the S. Koreans would do if S. Korea were invaded and overrun by the North and China.

His reply: "Throw a big makli (rice wine) party"

[Happy2BMe]

"they still want us to buy their electronics and daiwoo-woos, tho'."

They (the S. Koreans) are not the only ones.

It would stun us all if we only knew of the polititians in this country who have and are becoming wealthy off trade with S. Korea.

[Williams]

This is sad and troubling. No logic at all.

Problem: "The country next to us has a 1.1 million man army and thousands of rockets aimed at us even though we mean them no harm. Now they are breaking international law and building atom bombs to go along with their missiles."

Solution: "Don't you dare pressure them over this. Talking to them will solve the problem. And we will talk to the two countries responsible for propping them up and defending their aggressive actions. We will at the same time denounce help from the one country that guarantees our survival."

At this rate, I suggest South Korea start building the reeducation camps its citizens will soon be housed in.

[jwalsh07]

Some South Korean analysts believe President George Bush's decision to include the North in his "axis of evil" played a central part in aggravating relations in the region.

But, of course. It's President Bush's fault that the fat little lying stalinist bastard broke hie word and the agreement.

It's also President Bush's fault that the North Koreans cling to the commie philosophy that their benefactor Russia has abandoned.

And of course it's President Bush's fault that the South Koreans want to bend over, touch their toes and do their best Neville Chamberlain impersonation.

Screw them, we were rotating into Korea when I was in the Army 30 years ago and we still are. Time to get out of Dodge but not until Kim Lil Dong has been put in his place.

[koax]

i was thinking the day after thanksgiving when driving any where near the local target and walmart was near impossible, that the american holiday shopping, which makes or breaks many businesses, also supports the world.