U.S. Moderates Suggest Possibility of Military Forces Use Against the North

Leading moderates of the U.S. who have emphasized the importance of negotiation with North Korea are now laying stress on the possibility of using military force.

Such a viewpoint by moderates made on Sunday seems to be triggered by President Roh’s speech in Los Angeles on November 13. The president strongly objected to any military or economic sanctions on the North.

Wendy Sherman, the former Special Advisor to the President and to the Secretary of State and North Korea Policy Coordinator, appeared Sunday on CNN’s Late Edition and said that the nuclear issue requires tough negotiations so as to find out the intention of North Korea, and during this the military solution must be on the negotiation table as well. She had also worked as a national security adviser to Kerry`s campaign.

Robert L. Gallucci, the Dean of Georgetown University, appeared in the same program and said that handing over nuclear weapons to terrorists would be the worst nightmare of the U.S. The dean, who had played a leading role in the success of the US - DPRK Agreed Framework in 1994, criticized that when it comes to the negotiations with North Korea, giving more carrots and using less sticks are very critical, but the Bush administration has failed to do so.

Seung-Ryun Kim srkim@donga.com