U.S. Presidential Debate Refocuses North Korea as Front-burner Issue

One of the agendas highlighted by the September 30 TV debate between the U.S. presidential candidates was the North Korea nuclear issue, some analysts said. The issue has been raised during the debate more strongly than other election-year agendas such as 9/11, al-Qaeda, Afghanistan, Iraq, and the war on terror.

Democratic Party candidate John Kerry pointed intensively to the security breaches caused by North Korea’s development of nuclear weapons. He insisted that because President George W. Bush diverted the country’s security capabilities by starting an unnecessary war in Iraq, the North could develop four to seven nuclear warheads during the Iraqi war.

As Kerry fervently took issue with the North Korean nuclear problem as a way to bash Bush, this became ingrained in the memories of about 60 million voters who watched the debate.

While pointing to the impossibility of U.S.-North bilateral talks, Bush said, “What Kerry is planning for is what Kim Jong-il wants. Kim is an evil leader.”

If the U.S. government takes a get-tough measure, regardless of the outcome of the country’s presidential elections, the negative public consciousness of the North fueled in the debate will likely embolden hardliners.

“Pyongyang became a front-burner issue after Bush and Kerry sparred over the right course of action to end the regime`s bid for nuclear weapons,” reported the Los Angeles Times on October 2. “Former President Clinton tried to engage the North Korea’s eccentric leader, Kim Jong-il. Bush decided to isolate and pressure him.”

Seung-Ryun Kim srkim@donga.com