John Kerry finally discusses North Korea:
Kerry said he would immediately begin bilateral negotiations with North Korea — a goal the Pyongyang government has long sought. But, perhaps in a nod to the sensitivities of the Japanese, the South Koreans and the Chinese, he said he would not abandon the six-nation talks.
“I would keep them both going,” Kerry said. “I would do the six-party [talks], but I would engage in bilateral discussions.”
The Bush administration has argued that bilateral talks would reward North Korea for its behavior, and has contended that it is necessary to include the other nations to ensure a regional solution. Kerry declined to say what he would offer North Korea as inducements to give up its weapons but said he would be willing to discuss a broad agenda that includes reducing troop levels on the Korean peninsula, replacing the armistice that ended the Korean War and even reunifying North and South Korea.
Hey, John, if you’re keeping the six-party talks going just to keep the Chinese and South Koreans happy, you needn’t bother — they’d love to see the U.S. shoulder the North Korea burden on its own. Moreover, I have to confess, after watching the present South Korean administration do its best to “mediate” between the U.S. and North Korea over the nuclear issue, I do get a chuckle imaging the U.S. playing the role of “mediator” between North and South over issues like cross-DMZ arms reductions and Korean unification. Given the state of the Korea-U.S. alliance, such a move wouldn’t necessarily be unwarranted, as the Chosun Ilbo and the Independent rather dejectedly confess. The Hankyoreh, ironically, suddenly welcomes U.S. interference in intra-Korean affairs:
Discussions of unification, too, are welcome. This is because although the principle actors in unification are North and South Korea, the U.S. must speak up and has a share of the responsibility as long as it stations its troops on the Korean Peninsula.
Hey, whatever happened to all that 6.15 “Uri minjok-ggiri” stuff? I guess a little U.S. hegemony isn’t so bad when it’s backing your horse, right?
BTW, for the record, once I get my initial chuckle picturing the U.S. discussing with the North Koreans the reunification of the Korean Peninsula, my amusement quickly morphs into abject horror. I can only hope Kerry was joking.
3 Comments
The kaleidoscope that is the state of international relations surrounding the Korean peninsula will now get another piece added to it, I suppose. But it seems to me that what is needed is simplification — not more “nuance” by adding a different set of talks.
I imagine that with a potential Kerry presidency we would see a rerun of the Clinton years; many of the same foreign policy advisors from the Clinton admin would return, I’d think.
But am I not correct to recall that during the first “nuclear” crisis (93-94), the Clinton administration alarmed the ROK, by being “unilateral” in threatening war?
(Until the “wild card” former President Carter flew to NorK on his own and negotiated on behalf of the US, and Clinton was afraid to rebuke him publicly and so went along with it?)
Of course, that was a different ROK administration (the political opponents of the current ROK administration, yes?)
I’ll be interested to hear your translation of what the Korean language papers say about Kerry as the US election approaches. I’m sure many of them long for his election, but what exactly they expect him to do differently about Korea from the Bush administration?
Do you suppose a President Kerry would go along with a reprise of the early Clinton “unilateralism”? After all, he is a combat veteran of Vietnam and thus is prepared to be plenty tough (or so he constantly tells us).
Or would Kerry repeat the latter half of the Clinton Presidency, where we swung the pendulum all the way over to “sunshine” by providing free fuel oil, assisting in building NUCLEAR REACTORS financed by ROK/Japan (ok, “light water” reactors, supposedly not good for producing fissionable material, although there seems to be an argument over this).
And of course Clinton culminated his presidency by having the well-hatted Sec of State Madeline Albright pay obeisance to “Little Elvis” (how I love that name). Kim’s adoring servants recreated that phallic image of the missile launch in the big display at the stadium extravaganza (the Nodong missile, right?) What a spectacle, never thought I’d live to see that. My goodness, you just can’t make this stuff up.
I suppose this is what many in the ROK would hope for from Kerry. But I expect that Kerry, even if elected, will have the same problem with a skeptical Republican Congress that Clinton had, from 94 on. Ah, those evil Republicans, they’re to blame for holding up progress on the Korean peninsula (meaning giving North Korea whatever it wants).
Do you Korean readers of this blog suppose that Kerry even knows himself what he’s going to do? Of course not, he’s just like Clinton, which means he will do whatever he thinks is opportune for the politics of the moment. But I’m a political opponent of his, so I expect I will be shouted down post-haste. I can hardly wait…
Well, the politics of “feel-good” seems to be in demand in the ROK and among many in the US, so maybe that’s what we’ll get. If we’re going to resume the payment of “bribe” money and/or goods to NorK, I still hope for the withdrawl of our ground troops; at least that will compensate somewhat for the expenditures.
It is disappointing to hear Kerry talk about unilateral talks with North Korea. But it isn’t like the Bush policy is working so well right now either. Let’s face it; Iraq is presently occupying Bush’s full attention and the whole North Korean issue is being put on the back-burner. Quite short-sighted to be in such a hurry to get rid of Saddam while real WMDs in the hands of someone far more of a threat to the US are being multiplied as we speak.
North Korea won’t be allowed to collapse by China and South Korea. They’ll work hard to keep Kim Jeong-il in power and block regime-changing efforts. As this drags on and on, is there any doubt that eventually we all will just get accustomed to the idea of Jeong-il having nukes? The longer the issue is delayed, the more difficult it will become to get South Korea and China to play hardball with South Korea.
Without South Korea and China on board, nothing is going to change for the better. A focused push to get them on board is not being done right now, and probably won’t be as long as we are bogged down in Iraq.
If Kerry teams up with McCain then perhaps McCain’s influence will push Kerry away from naive appeasement. That’s where my hopes lie.
JFKerry(D) spews platitudes including this whopper of a ‘nuance’…
“I would keep them both going,” Kerry said. “I would do the six-party [talks], but I would engage in bilateral discussions.”
Isn’t it cute how he condescends to call “unilateral” imposition of American direct negotiation with Kim Jong-Il “bilateral”…
Because the six-party farce would be so much more productive if undercut by another unverifiable American Tax payer funded giveaway to perpetuate Kim Jong-Il’s regime.
There is only one Korea…
But…
JFKerry(D) seems to want to keep it split
PING:
TITLE: News flash for John Kerry; unilaterally dealing with the Norks makes the six-party talks moot
BLOG NAME: Flying Yangban
As you may have heard now, and as the Marmot has already posted about, Democrat candidate for president John Kerry has stated that he would by-pass the regional framework for dealing with North Korea and deal with them unilaterally. To
PING:
TITLE: News flash for John Kerry; unilaterally dealing with the Norks makes the six-party talks moot
BLOG NAME: Flying Yangban
As you may have heard now, and as the Marmot has already posted about, Democrat candidate for president John Kerry has stated that he would by-pass the regional framework for dealing with North Korea and deal with them unilaterally. To
PING:
TITLE: News flash for John Kerry; unilaterally dealing with the Norks makes the six-party talks moot
BLOG NAME: Flying Yangban
As you may have heard now, and as the Marmot has already posted about, Democrat candidate for president John Kerry has stated that he would by-pass the regional framework for dealing with North Korea and deal with them unilaterally. To
PING:
TITLE: News flash for John Kerry; unilaterally dealing with the Norks makes the six-party talks moot
BLOG NAME: Flying Yangban
As you may have heard now, and as the Marmot has already posted about, Democrat candidate for president John Kerry has stated that he would by-pass the regional framework for dealing with North Korea and deal with them unilaterally. To