[Editorial] Gov’t Should Know “Regret is Not Enough”

The government sent Pyongyang a telephone message yesterday softening its stance on the fatal naval skirmish last month. In response to the North’s regret over the Yellow Sea naval clash, the message says, “We note that you feel regretful and that the two sides should make joint efforts to prevent the reoccurrence of similar incidents.” The DJ government, which itself defined the clash as ‘a calculated act of provocation,’ now seems ready for a cheap bargain. It’s egregious.

Pyongyang, in a message last week, said that the exchanges of fire were an accident and the two sides must make joint efforts to prevent the reoccurrence of similar incidents. The government, in its return message, did not hold Pyongyang accountable, and instead implicitly agreed on shouldering responsibilities.

Although it called on Pyongyang to take necessary measures to prevent such an armed clash from occurring again, it came short of demanding punishment of those responsible. The Ministry of Unification said that the details will be discussed throughout later talks, but it sounds hardly convincing that the government will deal with the touchy issue in later talks without making its position clear in an official message.

The government, in fact, not only shied away from its pledge that it would demand an official apology, punishment of those responsible and measures to prevent similar incidents, but also ignored the public sentiment towards the North Korean regime. Why did it reply to the North hurriedly? It’s because President Kim is eager to produce tangible results of his sunshine policy before his term ends.

Some inside the government already begin to indicate if coming ministerial talks are stalled, it might ship 300,000 tons of food to North Korea. Then Pyongyang may assume responsibilities for the deadly clash in return for the tons of rice. The supply of food is a humanitarian arrangement for starving Korean people, however, not a political means for an easy way out.

Even if ministerial talks break the current stalemate, it will only set a bad precedent for any peace efforts in the peninsula if the occasion serves as an easy closure of the Yellow Sea skirmish.