North Korea - course of action ?
October 6th, 2006 by ashish
How do you deal with a nation that is almost immune to the traditional methods of applying pressure? Sanctions have not much effect on North Korea, it is one of the most economically stagnant and isolated countries. This is a country that really does not care about its citizens, it would rather that they die in large number than admit that there is a major famine that needs a lot of help. It is a dictatorship with zero individual freedoms that could beat almost any other nation in its brutality towards its own people. One could almost speculate that its people will not in a true sense aspire towards freedom and democracy because they have never know these concepts, with its control of internet and media, the dictatorship has ensured that its people are the most disconnected from the global world.
Threatening such a lunatic and unreasonable regime is a tricky case, it maintains enough artillery to cause a first devastating attack on Seoul which is very close the border. Further, it has a large standing army that will make it difficult to do a military threat.
The consequences of not doing anything against the North Korean threat of nuclear tests is too horrible to predict. It will cause a major change in strategy in that geographic area, with Japan under its new leader moving much closer to trying to attain a nuclear weapon of its own. South Korea and Taiwan will also move much closer towards the same end. Amids all this, China will certainly not sit quiet. This single threat has the potential to be a major disruptive force in that entire region.
What can be done ? The only countries with major influence are China, Russia and the US. Both China and Russia need to shed their usual reticence in this matter, and move much forward by threatening ‘The Dear Leader’ about the consequences of his action. The US has essentially one major trump card, direct negotiations with the North Korea, this would act to give the North Koreans legitimacy. However, once played, this card becomes useless. The US seems to be acting correct by insisting that any talks happen via the 6 nation mechanism.
