(EDITORIAL from the Korea Times on Aug. 22)

Conciliatory Gestures
North Korea Should Take Prudent Action for Rapprochement

The United States has reaffirmed its firm position that bilateral negotiations
with North Korea are possible only through the six-party denuclearization talks.

State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said Thursday that the six-party
process remains the best mechanism to resolve pending issues between the two
countries. His remarks are aimed at foiling any attempt by Pyongyang to scuttle
the multilateral talks by holding direct negotiations with Washington.
It is an appropriate step for the United States to preclude any direct contact
with the North before the world's last Stalinist country comes back to the
six-nation talks and resume its denuclearization. It is also wise for the United
States not to play into the hands of the North that is trying to neutralize new
U.N. sanctions imposed on the recalcitrant country for its nuclear test and
long-range missile launch in recent months. It is important to maintain coherency
and consistency in dealing with precarious and hostile nations like North Korea.
It is a common strategy of North Koreans to break away from talks when they are
strong. But when they are weak, they hold out the olive branch not for genuine
peace but for a ploy to regain strength. It is apparent that the North has begun
to feel pains from arms embargoes and financial sanctions under U.N. resolutions.
The United States and its allies have continued to tighten a noose around North
Korea in an international effort to force the communist country to abandon its
nuclear ambition and move toward reconciliation and peace.
Against this backdrop, the Kim Jong-il regime is sending out conciliatory
gestures toward the United States and South Korea. It recently invited former
President Bill Clinton and Hyundai Group Chairwoman Hyun Jung-eun to the
reclusive country. During a meeting with Clinton, Kim expressed his willingness
to hold bilateral dialogue with the United States, while freeing two detained
American journalists. Kim also reached a five-point agreement with Hyun to resume
the Mt. Geumgang tourism project and facilitate the operation of the Gaeseong
Industrial Complex. The North also released a detained South Korean worker.
On Wednesday, two North Korean diplomats at the United Nations met New Mexico
Gov. Bill Richardson to convey the North's intent to have bilateral dialogue with
the Obama government. On Friday, the North sent a six-member delegation to the
South for the funeral of former President Kim Dae-jung who died Tuesday. The
latest developments indicate that Pyongyang is jockeying to mend ties with
Washington and Seoul.
However, the Obama administration is giving the cold shoulder to Pyongyang,
repeating its call for the North's return to the six-party talks. The Seoul
government is also taking a cautious approach toward the North's move. There is
hope that the funeral delegation, led by Kim Ki-nam, a Workers Party Central
Committee secretary, may meet with South Korean officials. Such a meeting, if
realized, would mark the first contact between senior officials of the two Koreas
since the 2008 inauguration of conservative President Lee Myung-bak.
Now, it is time for Seoul and Washington to step up their cooperation to prod the
North into the six-party talks by taking advantage of its conciliatory gestures
for bilateral dialogue. First of all, the North should shake off its nuclear
pariah image and restore international trust by taking prudent action for
rapprochement.
(END)