The North Do Not Want War with U.S.

Maurice Strong, special envoy of the U.N. announced after his visit to North Korea that the North did not rule out the possibility of war with the U.S. but expressed strongly that it wanted to avoid it as much as possible.

“War will not necessarily happen but is still possible unless the U.S and the North resolve their dispute diplomatically,” he also said.

The special envoy of U.N. secretary-general Kofi Annan went on saying, “After the actual outbreak of war on Iraq, North Korea seems to be very sensitive to the possibility of becoming the next target. It may take additional measures if the anti-U.S. sentiment is heightened, but, for now, it is likely to act in a reasonable way, centering on its security and safety.”

He said, “It seemed to consider their actions not a provocation but a kind of resolution to deal with the threat on its security or preparatory movement for the possible war. Iraq war can be a good opportunity for peaceful resolution of the issue involving North Korea`s nuclear development. But it is hard to predict the actual result for now.”

“I want the North and the U.S. to discuss the issue. If the discussion is more delayed, the situation will get worse and hostility between the two countries will become more intense,” he added.

Yoo-Sung Hwang yshwang@donga.com