America Started The ‘Tailored Containment’ against North Korea

The foreign media reported that while the IAEA was thinking about bringing up the issue of North Korea`s decision to expel the IAEA inspectors to the UN Security Council, America decided to make a new containment policy that applied economical and political pressure to North Korea with out negotiation. The Korean Government started to move to solve the problem diplomatically, and the international public opinion that asks to solve the problem through international cooperation is stirring.

▽‘Tailored containment policy’=The American media reported on the 29th that the George W. Bush Administration decided to make a ‘tailored containment’ policy that applied maximum economical and political pressure through cooperation with the international society without direct military operation against North Korea or negotiation.

The New York Times reported, quoting a high official from the White House, “We used the term ‘tailored containment’ because this situation is totally different than the case of Iraq or Iran,” and “this policy applies big economical and political pressure to North Korea, and it needs maximum cooperation of the international society.”

The CNN reported, “The President Bush agrees on the containment,” and “therefore, America is cooperating with the IAEA to bring up the North Korean nuclear problem to the UN Security Council.”

The tailored containment contains that if North Korea does not give up nuclear, it points out that North Korea violated the NPT through the UN Security Council, applies an international economical sanction, and especially, asks the countries that trade with North Korea to reduce or stop the trade.

It is known that America, in addition to that, is thinking about ways to seize North Korean ships that have exporting missiles on board, so that North Korea cannot gain any economical profit through arms dealing.

▽Reaction of the IAEA=The deputy spokesman of the IAEA Melissa Fleming stated on the 28th, “North Korea did not respond to the letter of the IAEA Secretary General Mohamed Elbaradei asking to allow the inspectors to stay, but she asked the IAEA inspectors in Youngbyun nuclear facilities to withdraw by the 31st, so we decided to withdraw all three inspectors.”

The IAEA Secretary General Elbaradei warned through the news conference with the AP, “If North Korea keeps neglecting the international obligations until January 6th, when the IAEA Board Meeting will be held, the Board will consider a way to submit the North Korean nuclear problem to the UN Security Council.”

▽Korean Government=The Korean Government will send the Assistant Vice Minister of the Ministry of the Foreign Affairs and Trade, Lee Tae-sik to China and initiate a high ranking consultation with the Assistant Secretary of the Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry, and it plans to have a meeting between the Vice Minister Kim Hang-gyeong and the Russian Foreign Affairs Vice Minister Alexandr Rosukov in this week.

It is known that the Government, especially, will have the Korea, America, and Japan TCOG meeting in Washington at the end of next month and create a counterplan against the North Korean nuclear problem.

In relation to this, for the exchange of high officials that the President Bush and the President Elect Roh Moo-hyun agreed, the US Department of Defense Assistant Secretary James Kelly will visit Korea after the TCOG meeting, and our high official will visit America.

In the mean time the British Daily Independent reported on the 28th, “The US CIA is assuming that North Korea can produce enough plutonium that makes 30 nuclear bombs a year out of two unfinished atomic reactors that she holds now.”

sechepa@donga.com