[Editorial] Shaky Intelligence

There is a subtle difference in the viewpoint between Korea and the U.S. regarding North Korea’s move to test-fire a Taepodong 2 missile. Washington has even put its missile-interception system on alert, saying, “Pyongyang is intentionally stirring a crisis.” However, the government continues to say, “It is not sure whether it’s a missile or a satellite.” The key is who gathers more accurate intelligence.

Korea has no way to know what is occurring at a missile launch pad in the North without U.S. spy satellites. Korea is blind only with Baekdu and Geumgang spy planes and a monitoring unit that are not very good at gathering intelligence. If so, we have to trust the intelligence the U.S. is providing to us. The government shouldn’t be too conscious of inter-Korean relations and just keep saying what is favorable to the North. Because of such attitude, Washington is not letting us know whether an Aegis warship, an important part of its MDS (missile defense system), has been deployed in the East Sea.

It is ridiculous for the government with such a low level of intelligence capability to cry out for independence and have sympathy for what the North is insisting, the national sentiment. According to a monthly magazine SinDongA’s July edition, the naval clash in the West Sea, which occurred in June 2002, was a premeditated provocation directed by North Korean leader Kim Jong Il. It is claimed that Kim even said that he expected a couple of heroes to come out from its navy headquarters that year three days before the clash. I wonder if the government knows about that.

An alliance starts from information sharing, and information sharing can go well only when the relationship is based on solid trust. President Roh and Bush haven’t reportedly called each other in nine months, which shows their trust is on the verge of collapsing. Cheong Wa Dae countered, saying that the working-level officials are having enough conversations through various channels with Washington. But that cannot make up for talks between the summits.

And why is the government in such a hurry to redeem operational control during war while it lacks the ability to gather information and its trust relationship with Washington to share information is shaky? How can they protect 48 million Korean people when they cannot even distinguish between a missile and a satellite? The Unification Minister said yesterday that Korea-U.S. alliance was reality, but national cooperation was an illusion. He used to emphasize independence. We are not sure what is on his mind any more.