(EDITORIAL from the Korea Times on Feb. 7)

Shaky Start
US Must Use Both Carrots and Sticks Against N. Korea

The Barack Obama administration has just gotten off to a shaky start with North
Korea after the recalcitrant country opted for tension rather than dialog.

The
new U.S. government's first action was to impose sanctions on three North Korean
firms for their involvement in the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
Such a move is apparently not what President Obama wants to do, considering his
stress on dialog and diplomacy to address the North Korean issue, including its
nuclear programs.
It is regrettable that Pyongyang has made Washington begin with the sanctions in
defiance of a conciliatory atmosphere created by the change of power from a
Republican to Democratic president. It is totally the North's fault to miss the
golden opportunity to revive the stalled six-nation denuclearization talks and
mend ties with the United States. The sanctions are the natural consequences of
the North's notorious brinkmanship tactics.
The communist country should discard its saber-rattling policy and return to the
negotiating table to solve pending issues peacefully and diplomatically. It is
sad to see the Kim Jong-il regime continuing its nuclear gambling despite
international efforts for denuclearization. It is also frustrating that Pyongyang
has been escalating tension with Seoul by cutting ties, scrapping inter-Korean
agreements and threatening to nullify the maritime border on the West Sea.
North Korea has long been maintaining its outdated policy of having direct talks
with the United States, while sidelining South Korea. But now the policy is
doomed to failure as the world's last Stalinist country is pouring cold water
over the ice-thawing mood with America. The U.S. sanctions are targeting the
Korea Mining and Development Corp., Mokong Trading Corp. and Sino-Ki for
violating the U.S. law aimed at stopping the spread of missiles and other
technology related to weapons of mass destruction.
Of course, the sanctions have significant implications. They came at the start of
the Obama administration. Besides, they are put in place, especially when North
Korea is gearing up to test-fire its Taepodong-2 long-range missile at the
Musudan-ri launch site on its east coast. It is apparent that the missile test
has two purposes.
First, the communist regime intends to put mounting pressure on the United States
and South Korea to extract more concessions. Second, it wants to boast its
missile capability to tighten its grip on power amid concerns about Kim Jong-il's
health. The North might attain the second aim by the missile test. But it is
doubtful whether Pyongyang will force Washington to cave in to the show of its
military strength, which could be seen as a provocative act.
Against this backdrop, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is to visit Seoul
Feb. 19-20 to discuss the North Korean issue with South Korean leaders and find
ways of strengthening an alliance between the two countries. It is time for the
two sides to step up cooperation in prodding the North to abandon its nuclear
ambitions. Seoul and Washington should use carrots and sticks at the same time to
force the nuclear pariah to go down the road to complete, verifiable and
irrevocable denuclearization.
(END)