[Opinion] Nuclear Crisis and Hot Line

The hotline refers to a direct telephone line installed for emergency communication purposes. Facing the Cuban missile crisis, the U.S. and Soviet Union signed a memorandum on the setup of a hotline in Geneva on June 20, 1963. The crisis was sparked after the Cuban government decided to relocate its missiles and the U.S. government responded to the action by blocking the sea routes into Cuba. During the Middle East War in June 1967, the Soviet Union also used the hotline to ask Americans for cooperation. Later Americans were able to clear Russian misunderstanding about its naval maneuvering in the Mediterranean through the hotline.

The Moscow-Washington hotline has been used as a means of emergency communications between leaders of the two countries for decades. It was a `hot` line designed to thaw the cold mood between the two powers. George W. Bush last week ordered the invasion of Iraq despite strong anti-war sentiment across the globe, and hotlines connecting world leaders in France, Russia and China will most likely remain busy for some time. North Korea is also closely watching the latest developments to decide its next move against Washington. If there were a hotline between Seoul and Pyongyang, the two leaders would be talking to each other by now.

Bush, in his address to Americans last week, said that he ordered the attack on Iraq because U.N. efforts to disarm Iraq through peaceful and diplomatic channels proved to be fruitless. He also added that he would not be able to rid Iraq of weapons of mass destruction as long as Saddam Hussein stays in power. Bush seems to have a similar view on North Korea, which he also defined as part of the axis of evil along with Iraq. Given his hard-line pro-war policy, he might soon prepare for another attack if he finds it necessary, even against the will of the Korean people wanting a peaceful resolution to the crisis.

Seoul has been asking Pyongyang for setup of a military hotline between top military officials of the two countries for almost a decade. The North, however, has been rejecting the offer, saying it is a matter between Pyongyang and Washington when it comes to military issues. If we only had a hotline connected to Pyongyang now, we could play a leading role or at least a mediating role between Pyongyang and Washington in resolving the crisis. That will only happen, however, when the North stops insisting on talking directly to the Americans on military issues.

Park Yong-ok, Guest Writer, Former Deputy Minister of Defense, yongokp@hanmail.net