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EDITORIAL: New policy on N. Korea
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EDITORIAL: New policy on N. Korea
ANN - Friday, December 3
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Seoul (The Korea Herald/ANN) - In his November 29 address to the nation, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak strongly suggested a fundamental change in the government's policy toward North Korea. Above all, he implied the South would not pursue engagement with the North. He noted that the Seoul government's efforts during the past 20 years to resolve the North Korean nuclear question through "dialogue and collaboration" have been met by a series of provocative acts by the North, including the sinking of the Navy corvette Cheonan in March and the shelling of Yeonpyeong Island on Nov. 23.
Lee also said the North's latest attack against civilians on the island, which he called a crime against humanity, has led him to the "realization that we can hardly expect the North to abandon its military adventurism and nuclear program on its own."
But Lee stopped short of outlining his new policy toward the North, leading many to speculate about the measures his government would take down the road. One presidential aide said the absence of specific action plans in his speech was due to the need to remain "strategically ambiguous." Another said it reflected the president's determination to punish the North through action rather than words.
In either case, Lee needs to address the questions his vague speech has raised. The first question concerns the Gaeseong Industrial Complex, the only remaining symbol of inter-Korean economic cooperation.
In May, the Seoul government did not include the closure of the complex on its list of sanctions against the North over the sinking of the Cheonan battleship. This gave the wrong signal to the North. If it avoids taking any action toward the complex this time again, it will repeat the same mistake.
The complex is a cash cow for the North ? it employs about 44,000 North Korean workers whose wages help fund the despotic Kim Jong-il regime. Furthermore, the North can take the hundreds of workers from the South hostage if conflict breaks out. With this option open for the North, the South would find it hard to retaliate massively for any future provocation.
If closing the complex all at once is difficult, the government needs to draw up a plan for a gradual withdrawal of the southern companies operating there and come up with measures to secure the safety of their South Korean staff.
Another question Lee has to address concerns psychological warfare against the North. In May, the Seoul government threatened to use its powerful psychological weapons against the North for torpedoing the Navy warship. But it backed off, sending the wrong signal to the perpetrator.
On November 28, the military used a weapon dreaded by the Pyongyang regime ? balloons containing leaflets that denounce the North's hereditary father-to-son power transfer. Some 400,000 leaflets were flown on balloons across the border. The North fears these leaflets because they can add to instability of the already fragile regime. The question is: Is the Seoul government ready to wage a psychological campaign more systematically?
A related question is whether the Seoul government would pursue a regime change in the North. Following Lee's speech, a presidential aide was quoted as saying the Seoul government has "put all options, including a regime change, on the table." The presidential office, however, denied the report.
But given Lee's realization that the current regime in the North cannot be expected to give up its military adventurism and nuclear ambitions, promoting a regime change is a logical step he should take. Although it is difficult to expect a top-down regime change in the North, there exists the possibility of a bottom-up change, given the growing discontent among North Korean people toward their leaders. Sending balloons could be an effective means of achieving this goal.
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