[imText1]At the 1st policy forum by the DailyNK on “US and Chinese Strategy Toward The Korean Peninsula And The Direction Of Policy Toward North Korea”, the discussion was heated reagarding US, Chinese and South Korean policy toward North Korea and future of the Korean peninsula.
The forum was held at the Baejae Academic Center on the 14th. Multi-dimensional discussions were held by experts which addressed the US economic sanctions on North Korea, the six party talks, the expansion of trade between North Korea and China, and policy toward North Korea.
“US,Axis Of Evil →’Outpost of Tyranny’ Implies that the US Separated The Regime From The People
Lee Chun Geun, Vice President Of The Center For Free Enterprise said, “The Bush Administration is focused on its policy toward North Korea considering that it has supported terrorism since the 2nd term. The Administration has taken the lessons from the war on Iraq into account, and has chosen to separate the North Korean regime from its people”.
He also explained that the US considers the regime its enemy, not the people, and that it is implied in the change of terms once used to describe North Korea; from ‘Axis of Evil’ to ‘Outpost of Tyranny’.
He also claimed that “The US is working on how to identify with the North Korean people, and came to point out the suppression of human rights in North Korea. The US has also broached the topics of drugs, counterfeit money and cigarrettes, in order to shed light on the criminality of the North Korean regime.
Lee said, “The US is afraid of nuclear terrorism, and believes that North Korea could sell its weapons of mass destruction to anyone who would pay for them. In order to alter this impression, North Korea will have to drastically reform”.
He added, “The economic sanctions on North Korea have been very effective. The North Korean regime was running the country as if it was a private possession. US has grabbed this opportunity to pursue the so-called “termination strategy” in order to punish and reform the North Korean regime.
In response, Yoon Duk Min (A Professor At The Institute For Foreign Affairs and National Security) stated, “The relationship between the US and China is actually cooperative regarding the issue of North Korea, which is different from what generally seems to occur. The future of the Korean peninsula might be decided unexpectedly if we overlook such a situation”.
He added, “It does not seem like the US is pursuing a termination strategy, meaning they are not carrying out any visible strategy in order to change the regime. The effect of the economic sanctions is to be evaluated as well”.
Professor Kim Tae Ho, at Hanlim University spoke on the relationship between North Korea and China, saying, “The North Korea-China relationship used to focus on the special supportive relationship based on the commonality of socialist states during the Cold War. However, it is changing in the Post-Cold War period due to the interest of the state, into a more general, interest-based relationship”.
He pointed out that “China is the main supporter of the North Korean regime, but the closed nature of North Korean society due to the domestic situation, the disparity in national objectives and the stiff relationship between the North and China are the factors that limit the influence of China on North Korea”.
He also claimed that “The fundamental reason for the expansion of cooperation and interaction between North Korea and China since 2000 the intention to create an external environment for the domestic economic development by maintaining stability on the Korean peninsula, maintaining influence over the US, the Korean peninsula and South Korea by maintaining dependence of North Korea on China.
Professor Kim analyzed, “The alliance of South Korea and the US, and the cooperation between South Korea and China may be the most important challenge regarding national security and foreign relations. It is based on the US-Korea alliance, competition between the US and China, and the growth of China, which is a structural change.
He also mentioned that, “China is pursuing various goals and strategies such as maintenance of its influence over the Korean peninsula, support for the North Korean regime and stability on the Korean peninsula. Besides denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. Korea needs to have minimum deterrent to be able to prevent and respond to small-scale conflicts, based on the ability to defend itself by military force”.
Professor Han Seok Hee at Yonsei University claimed after the presentation that, “The goal of the six party talks is denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. However, denuclearization of North Korea is not the objective of China. China is trying to earn time while they have the leadership”.
Kim Young Hwan, Editorialist at the DailyNK responded to the claim that North Korea may come under the rule of China saying, “It is not proper to say that. It is true that Chinese investment into North Korea is increasing, but more private investment is made, rather than governmental investment”.
