Former top U.S. defense official backs S. Korea joining PSI

By Lee Youkyung
SEOUL, April 15 (Yonhap) -- A former senior U.S. defense policymaker for Asia
expressed support Wednesday for South Korea's expected decision to fully join a
U.S.-led anti-proliferation campaign, warning North Korea remains a "strong
candidate" in the spread of ballistic missile and nuclear technology.
South Korea was expected to announce its formal decision to join the U.S.-led
Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) sometime this weekend.
The initiative, started in 2003 under the George W. Bush administration, is aimed
at halting the spread of weapons of mass destruction and has drawn a membership
of over 90 countries.
South Korea has remained an observer in the campaign since 2005, fearing a
full-fledged role would provoke North Korea and undermine inter-Korean relations.
Vexed by North Korea's April 5 rocket launch -- widely seen as a ballistic
missile test under the disguise of space exploration -- South Korea said recently
it could reverse its stance and consider fully embracing the PSI.
"Based on North Korea's established records, it would sell anything and it could
possibly sell anywhere in the world, as a candidate for strong attention from the
PSI," Richard Lawless, former U.S. deputy undersecretary of defense for Asian and
Pacific security affairs, said in a press conference in Seoul.
"The PSI, in this particular case, happens to look at North Korea, not unusually,
as a serial proliferator of ballistic missile technology and potentially nuclear
technology," said Lawless, who stepped down in 2007 after serving under Bush.
North Korea, which conducted its first atomic test in 2006, is believed to have
enough plutonium to create several nuclear bombs.
It also recently launched a rocket that neighbors say could be converted into a
Taepodong-2 ballistic missile theoretically capable of reaching Alaska.
"I think it's the high time" that South Korea joined the PSI, Lawless said,
adding he finds it "in and of itself a little bit strange" that North Korea would
consider it an act of war.
"PSI is a global initiative. It's not targeted on North Korea," he said. "If
North Korea were part of the greater family of nations, it should ask to join
PSI, not throw rocks at it."
South and North Korea remain in a technical state of war after the 1950-53 Korean
War ended in a truce rather than a peace treaty. The conflict also led the U.S.
to station forces here as a deterrent against the North.
ylee@yna.co.kr
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