Thoughts on an "Initiative Strategy" for the Comprehensive Management of North Korea
, Nonresident Senior Fellow; Former Minister of National Defense and Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Republic of Korea, Foreign Policy, Center for Northeast Asian Policy Studies
The Brookings Institution
The denuclearization of North Korea is of great interest to the international community and is a key premise of international policies toward North Korea and the discussion of reunification of the Republic of Korea. Unfortunately, efforts by the international community to resolve North Korea’s nuclear issue have not produced visible results and, as discussed below, the nuclear issue is only one component of the larger problem of North Korea....
Visible results is a diplomatic measure of cooperation. North Korea has removed access by the IAEA and has gone forward with a nuclear program that is prohibited by all agreements with the USA.
Basically, there is a limit to negotiations. There are always limits. It is the obligation of North Korea to reassure the International Community and it has not done so. Quite the contrary, it has moved forward aggressively against the South. That does not rule out Japan or Taiwan as targets either. Guam. There is a lot to protect and the clock has run out, so to speak.
North Korea has laid out the framework now and it is up to the USA to protect humanity from a nuclear confrontation. What needs to be made clear to North Korea is that there is no reason for any of their aggression. They need to understand the consequences to their actions will end the danger to the world, including Russia and China. There can be no gamesmanship or brinksmanship here. North Korea is used to being tolerated, they need to understand that tolerance has reached its limit.
This might be a hell of a ride.
Duck and cover.
