As the crisis in Iraq grew in December, Scud missiles from North Korea were found on a ship destined for Yemen, beginning a standoff between the Bush Administration and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il. Since that time, questions of war, human rights, diplomacy and nuclear weapons have been raised by both sides.
The crisis was pushed further when Kim’s diplomats announced North Korea was pulling out of a 1994 nuclear nonproliferation treaty. Later in December, the North Korean government expelled U.N. weapons inspectors who claimed the Yongbyon nuclear plant was reactivated.
Last week North Korean U.N. ambassador Pak Gil Yon claimed the development of the nation’s nuclear program is strictly for energy purposes and not aggression.
At the same time, two envoys from the communist nation met with Bill Richardson, the governor of New Mexico, in an attempt to create an intermediary between the White House and Pyongyang, the North Korean capital.
Richardson was once an aid to President Bill Clinton and a U.N. ambassador. He was part of a diplomatic team that assisted in defusing a previous standoff with North Korea in 1993, which resulted in the 1994 nonproliferation treaty.
However, this year Kim is asking for foreign aid and energy supplies, such as oil, to bring an end to the nuclear development and testing. President George W. Bush has labeled the demands as “blackmail,” and has refused to directly communicate with Kim or his staff.
On Monday, though, Bush restated his policy.
“People say, ‘Well, are you willing to talk to North Korea?'” Bush said. “Of course we are, but what this nation won’t do is be blackmailed.”
The current crisis coming on the heels of the deployment of troops to the Middle East in preparation for military action in Iraq begs the question, “Is the United States ready to fight a two-front war?” While Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld reassures that the U.S. is capable of such a feat, Timothy J. Lomperis, Ph.D., of the Saint Louis University Political Science Department claims a war with North Korea is not likely.
“The potential for war is low,” Lomperis said. “Kim knows he will lose, and he wants a Korean reunification.”
Lomperis noted that one of the last things Kim would want is the destruction of the Korean peninsula, especially Seoul, the capital of South Korea.
“Seoul is the premiere city of Korea. It is similar to Germany’s Berlin or England’s London,” Lomperis said. “It is one city that all Koreans identify with.”
Since the onset of the crisis, many questions have been raised concerning who Kim Jong Il is. Newsweek even labeled him “North Korea’s Dr. Evil” on the cover of its Jan. 13 issue.
He is the son of North Korea’s first leader, Kim Il Sung, who gained power after the Korean War ended in 1953. Politically he is known as the world’s last Stalinist, with absolute power and theoretical control of his nation.
Lomperis questioned the leadership of Kim, saying he’s “not sure anyone is restraining (Kim),” which could explain the brash nature of his politics.
Thus far, efforts have been made by the international community to come to an agreement with Kim. The Russians have proposed a plan for a nuclear-free Korean peninsula, but a consensus has not been met.
According to Lomperis the North Korean military possesses the power to fire a missile into Tokyo. In 1998, another situation arose when officials from the communist nation fired a missile over the islands of Japan, sending rifts through the international community.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported yesterday that North Korean forces are increasing patrols and manpower along the demilitarized zone, which separates the Northern and Southern states. However, U.S. military officials in Seoul claim they are not alarmed because the activity is expected in such a situation.
