One expert analysis in the South Korean media yesterday asserted that the main reason why U.S. and South Korean heads of states have met North Korea countless times, and pledged themselves to nuclear abandonment more than once, but have continued to allow the North to increase the volume of their nuclear weapons is due to a lack of military discipline.
Shin Sung Taek, a professor at the Monterey Institute of International Studies, made his comments in an article for “News Hankuk” on the 25th, pointing out, “Agreements between the heads of states of both the U.S. and South Korea are mostly words and lack clout,” because, “the fundamental condition of inflicting a militaristic penalty has been neglected.”
Professor Shin declared, “It is an excess and a waste of international political will to talk of negotiations with an executioner regime such as North Korea.”
He went on to suggest that North Korea currently has no reason whatsoever to be afraid due to the fact that every time it conducts a nuclear test, it is compensated somehow, “Thus far, there have been no minimum standards set by the U.S. and South Korea regarding cooperating to abolish North Korea’s nuclear weapons, so the North has been one-sidedly squandering its fortune. The North’s complete disregard for agreements and its conducting of multiple tests has not even been followed by sanctions or other forms of punishment.”
Therefore, Professor Shin also outlined what he sees as the best way to preserve the iron wall of cooperation between Presidents Lee Myung Bak and Barack Obama which currently exists.
First, he said, “If the North carries out a third nuclear test then the Yongbyun complex will be bombed on that day.” Second, “If the Yongbyun Chemical Emissions Laboratory is made operational again and plutonium production is confirmed, then the relevant facilities will immediately be forced to endure a hail of missiles.” Finally, “If North Korea is caught enriching uranium then it will be very hard for the relevant facility to avoid a bombing.”
Professor Shin cited the example of Israel, whose indifference to international opinion in matters of national security is well-known, saying, “The enemies of Israel have witnessed on several occasions a military response from the state when they have ignored its warnings. Even now, Israel has yet to directly listen to U.S. entreaties.”
He maintained, therefore, “Now, South Korea has to be like Israel. Even though we have promised cooperation with the U.S., nuclear weapons are still clearly just a side issue for them.”
“The time has come and there is sufficient justification. It is feasible for South Korea to unilaterally target North Korea’s nuclear facilities.”
“South Korea’s blows of punishment and North Korea’s coarse methods fundamentally differ. The upper classes in North Korea, from Kim Jong Il himself down to the 1000th-ranked person, are actually most afraid of war.”
Professor Shin maintained, “A military strike should be strictly applied after any third nuclear test, which will surely take place in the near future. Immediately after the test, a physical blow should be delivered to a pre-marked facility vital for the North’s nuclear developments; if a long-distance missile launch test appears imminent, then they should be persuaded to suspend it or face the risk of an immediate blow.”
Further, if additional reprocessing of nuclear fuel rods is confirmed after a test, then three Popeye missiles should be dropped on the rooftop of the Yongbyun Chemical Emissions Laboratory Building.
He explained that intelligence about the Yongbyun nuclear facility has been sufficiently verified, so its laboratories can now be shattered in just under three minutes with the guided air-to-ground AGM-142 Popeye missile.
In conclusion, he stated, “The ultimate goal of such a scheme is to minimize the damage to South Korean forces and to maximize enemy casualties. A joint U.S.-South Korean effort could not only destroy North Korea’s weapons of mass destruction, but also the Kim Jong Il regime itself.”
