Time for US to show N.Korea some goodwill

A cloud of war seems to be shadowing the Korean Peninsula. Amid the escalating threatening rhetoric and military alerts of the parties involved, the US has promised South Korea a nuclear umbrella.

North Korean media condemned the US “nuclear umbrella” and the South’s request for nuclear armament as provocation for a nuclear war.

Any movements by the US and South Korea are naturally closely watched at this critical moment. But a hard-line stance is no help in solving the problem. The tension on the Korean Peninsula in the past months has demonstrated that toughening rhetoric only aggravates the situation.

No doubt North Korea doesn’t have a good track record of delivering what it has promised and has in the past broken agreements repeatedly. The North distrusts the US, which refused to engage with the North one-on-one.

But seen from another perspective, the inconsistent US policy on North Korea has also wasted several good opportunities to make a breakthrough on the issue.

The soft approach of the Clinton administration was reversed after the Bush administration resorted to a tough policy and labeled the North part of the so-called “axis of evil.”

The North responded with a nuclear test in 2006, significantly heightening tensions in the region.

At the end of his second term, US President George W. Bush reversed some of his initial policies, but the promising signs didn’t last long. When President Barack Obama overhauled the US’ aggressive foreign policies, the North seemed to be left out of his new goodwill diplomacy.

North Korea, deeply worried about its security, sought attention from the US with a second nuclear test and numerous missile launches.

The inconsistent policies of the US have worn out the patience of the North. Behind all the policy flip-flop, the US never altered its hostility toward the North and its intention of instigating a regime change persists.

South Korea, a US ally that shares a cultural history with the North, plays a crucial role. South Korean President Lee Myung-bak ditched the nearly decade–old “Sunshine Policy,” embracing a harder stance more in line with that of the US.

Reality shows that the hard-line policy didn’t result in the desired effect. The US’ guarantee of military protection is naïve thinking.

It’s in the US’ interests for the South to rely on it more deeply for a security umbrella, but it won’t help long-term regional peace. The Obama administration needs to move forward talks with the North if it hopes to truly secure the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula.

Tension now is building dangerously, and the parties involved have less room to maneuver.
The UN Security Council has passed a new round of sanctions against the North, which is not intended to corner the North but to bring it back to negotiations.

It’s time for Washington to show more signs of goodwill.