[Editorial] Will We Just Watch Upcoming U.S. Sanctions Against N. Korea?

The New York Times reported that the Bush administration is preparing sanctions against North Korea. The report indicates how firmly determined the administration is when it comes to deterring North from developing nuclear weapons. When the IAEA sent North Korea`s issue to the U.N. Security Council upon North`s withdrawal from the Nonproliferation Treaty, President Bush confirmed that he was not excluding any options, and that was not a bluff at all.

The current situation differs considerably from the one that arose in late last year when the tailored containment was first come up with. The nuclear standoff is developing into a worse stage, and, in response, the United States is considering various deterrence options, which are much more practical than those announced last time and, therefore, not just for threatening. According to The New York Times, the United States gave up on imposing economic sanctions upon vehement opposition from Kim Dae Jung administration. Instead, the Bush administration considering, among others, sealing off North Korea to prevent it from engaging in weapons and narcotics trade, and from receiving any financial aids from Pro-Pyongyang Federation of Korean Residents in Japan.

The United States believes that the nuclear problem could spill into a worst stage where the situation is not reversible. That is why the administration is secretly preparing for sanctions. The "worst stage scenario" is not a remote reality. It could pop up as reality before us at any time if North Korea attempts to resume its missile test or reactivate nuclear processing.

The report will sour the relation between the United States and North Korea much further, unless North Korea withdraws from its previous position that it would consider sanctions on it as a declaration of war. Then, will the resolution of the nuclear standoff get harder to realize, leaving no possibility for peaceful end?

At least for now, the reality is gloomier than ever. But we cannot and should not sit on our hands, doing nothing. We should pitch in our best to cope with the recent development. What is implied from the recent moves by the Bush administration is that Kim Dae Jung administration has failed to bring in any tangible results. It also indicates that President-elect Roh, despite his efforts, has a long way to go. It would get us nowhere repeating, like a broken cassette player, "our leading role in resolution" or "peaceful resolution." We have to look into the situation and first understand what has made the United States take the hard line, and why the Kim administration has failed to bring in positive results. Only then, we can determine whether to persuade the United States or join it in pressuring North Korea.