[Editorial] End the “Bullets & Dialog” Farce

The North Korean army fired on ROK solders in the DMZ on Constitution Day, July 16. The incident requires close attention on our part. Our joint chiefs-of-staff confirmed that the North fired only four rounds, and that we sustained no casualty. But the North took aim at our guardposts 1,100m away, managing to hit them with three rounds. Circumstances indicate that it was a calculated provocation by the North Korean regime. We cannot and must not tolerate the hypocritical behavior of the isolated regime in Pyongyang, which receives aid from us with one hand and fires on our soldiers with the other.

Even a cursory look at the current situation on the Korean Peninsula tells us why we must remain on our guard. A couple of days ago, former U.S. Defense Secretary William Perry warned, "A war can possibly break out on the Korean Peninsula this year." Also, a researcher at the U.S. Congressional Research Service diagnosed that "the danger could arise some time between July and October." Given this extremely high-level tension, an accidental conflict can easily spark an all-out confrontation. Even China, one of the North`s few remaining allies, has rolled up its sleeves to consummate multilateral approach for talks on the North`s nuclear issue – as insisted by the Bush administration — in an effort to prevent a disaster from arising on the Peninsula.

Considering the circumstances, this recent exchange of gunfire seems all the more ominous. With its back against a wall, North Korea appears to be dabbling in brinkmanship. That is, it seeks merely to highlight the tension so as to draw maximum attention. The Kim Jung Il regime recently notified the United States at a diplomatic gathering that it had completed the reprocessing of its 8000 spent fuel rods and resumed of construction of its nuclear reactor. But Kim Jung Il should know better. No one cares about his brinkmanship any longer.

The first thing North Korea must do is to report the case to the U.N. Military Armistice Commission and make an official apology. Then, it should produce follow-up measures to prevent the future occurrence of such incidents. These are the minimum actions North Korea must take to prevent any further deterioration of its relationship with South Korea and the international community.

The Roh Moo-Hyun administration, on the other hand, should demonstrate its resolve to North Korea. The isolated regime to the north is likely to have committed its most recent provocation to test Seoul`s will. That is why our government should react to this provocation the strongest and clearest way possible. The government of Roh Moo-hyun should teach the Kim Jung Il regime that it cannot get away with the sort of menacing shenanigans it tried during the former Kim Dae Jung administration.