Wall Street Journal (May 10)
Both the U.S. and South Korea “responded prudently and calmly” in the wake of the March sinking of a South Korean ship, which killed 46 sailors. With the investigation uncovering evidence of North Korean wrongdoing, a firm response is in order. A military strike is too risky, but the two countries can hold more vigorous joint military exercises, delay transfer of an operational command from the U.S. to South Korea, and pull out of the Six Party Talks. In addition, Seoul should suspend all economic cooperation and the U.N. Security Council should pass a resolution condemning North Korea. “Now is the time to demonstrate the strength of joint resolve, not weakness.”
Both the U.S. and South Korea “responded prudently and calmly” in the wake of the March sinking of a South Korean ship, which killed 46 sailors. With the investigation uncovering evidence of North Korean wrongdoing, a firm response is in order. A military strike is too risky, but the two countries can hold more vigorous joint military exercises, delay transfer of an operational command from the U.S. to South Korea, and pull out of the Six Party Talks. In addition, Seoul should suspend all economic cooperation and the U.N. Security Council should pass a resolution condemning North Korea. “Now is the time to demonstrate the strength of joint resolve, not weakness.”
Tags: North Korea, Security Council, South Korea, U.N., U.S.
Financial Times (April 23)
North Korea is “a dangerously unpredictable state.” Signs of this arose again with a plot to assassinate a North Korean defector and suspicions over North Korea’s involvement in the sinking of South Korea’s Cheonan warship. The problem: “the world is clueless about how to deal with a regime that responds to neither sticks nor carrots.” The Financial Times warns, however, that we can’t ignore North Korea: otherwise we will wake up one day “to find that a desperate, volatile state can fit a ballistic missile with a nuclear warhead.”
North Korea is “a dangerously unpredictable state.” Signs of this arose again with a plot to assassinate a North Korean defector and suspicions over North Korea’s involvement in the sinking of South Korea’s Cheonan warship. The problem: “the world is clueless about how to deal with a regime that responds to neither sticks nor carrots.” The Financial Times warns, however, that we can’t ignore North Korea: otherwise we will wake up one day “to find that a desperate, volatile state can fit a ballistic missile with a nuclear warhead.”
Tags: Cheonan, North Korea, Nuclear, South Korea
