Rice “North Korea Is Still on the Preemptive Strike List”

Currently, there is no ongoing discussion in regard to North Korean Nuke Crisis by U.S. administration including military measures. On 14th May, the Financial Times Newspaper announced that according to sources in the U.S. administration, President George W Bush will emphasize this fact in the U.S.-Korea Summit on 15th.

However the paper adds that U.S administration is considering means to regulate North Korea’s illegal trafficking in military arms, drugs and other such activities together with the nuke issue.

The paper also reports that the Bush administration’s policy revision is almost complete and it has been decided that the North Korean Nuke Crisis would be solved through diplomatic channels.

In regards to this, National Security Advisor, Condoliza Rice (photo) has said, “All options including preemptive strike is opened.” An unanimous senior official has emphasized that, “No discussion related to military has been made.”

However the New York Time has announced that Rice’s comment actually means a refusal to President Roh`s request to take North Korea out of the U.S.’s preemptive strike.

Meanwhile, with Washington’s think tank, Hudson Research Institute as the core, the conservative figures of politic and religion have send an official letter to President Bush on 14th. In the letter, they urged the president to maintain hard line policy against North Korea in upcoming U.S.-Korea summit.

The letter says, “(We) are concern about the South Korean officials who are afraid that disintegration of North Korean regime might hurt their economy. In the upcoming U.S.-Korea summit, President (Bush) should refute all (South Korean’s) request on the policy base on that fear.”

The Wall Street Journal also agrees, “If (South) Korea does not face the core issue of North Korean Nuke Crisis and does not assist U.S. in solving this situation, then President Roh`s request in regard to redeployment issues of USFK can`t be excepted.”

maypole@donga.com credo@donga.com