From the US perspective assuring the ROK that America will full support them against a nuclear North Korea and that they have no need to pursue their own nuclear weapons program makes sense for near term regionally stability. However, since the Chinese government are the one’s enabling the Kim regime to move forward with their nuclear weapons program, it may take a shock like South Korea and Japan taking concrete actions to move forward with their own nuclear weapons program to get China to take real action against North Korea:
South Korean Defense Minister Han Min-koo, center, shakes hands with Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti, right, commander of the U.S. Forces Korea, at a press conference announcing a joint press release by South Korean and U.S. defense leaders. Gen. Lee Soon-jin, left, chairman of South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, also attended the press conference. [PARK JONG-KEUN]“President Obama reaffirmed the unshakeable U.S. commitment to the security of the [South], and the two leaders agreed to work together to forge a united and strong international response to North Korea’s latest reckless behavior,” the White House said.
The U.S. assurance to defend its ally from escalating North Korean threats came as conservatives in the South started demanding that the country arm itself with nuclear weapons. At a Supreme Council meeting of the ruling Saenuri Party, several leaders publicly stressed the need for defensive nuclear armaments.
“The time has come for the South to have a peaceful nuclear program for the sake of self-defense to counter the North’s fearful, destructive nuclear weapons,” said Rep. Won Yoo-chul, floor leader of the Saenuri Party. “The North is aiming at our head with nuclear weapons, and it is frustrating for us to just respond with sanctions.”
Won, a former chairman of the National Assembly’s Defense Committee, had previously commented that the South should become a nuclear state, but this was the first time he voiced the opinion as the ruling party’s floor leader. [Joong Ang Ilbo]
China doesn’t want the ROK to become a nuclear state any more than it wants NK to be one. It would be in China’s best interest to stop screwing around with North Korea and bring about the removal of the Kim regime, perhaps by arranging their exile in a third country. China and ROK should establish a joint plan for transitioning NK to a provisional government for the purpose of administering a peaceful reunification of Korea under one government, a la Germany. There is no good purpose that can be served by continuing to play games with NK. They have proven repeatedly that no amount of sanctions will stop them from obtaining nuclear weapons. This is primarily China’s responsibility, because China has been propping up the Kim regime since the fall of the Soviet Union. China needs to step up to the plate and do the right thing. How much farther will Kim’s nuclear ambitions go before he begins threatening all of his neighbors in the region? He’s already threatened to turn the ROK into a “sea of fire.” How will China respond when Kim decides to threaten them instead? Or even worse, what happens if Putin’s Russia decides to become best buddies with NK, re-establishing patron support of the Kim regime? China needs to take control of this situation while it still has the ability to do so.
China doesn’t want the ROK to become a nuclear state any more than it wants NK to be one. It would be in China’s best interest to stop screwing around with North Korea and bring about the removal of the Kim regime, perhaps by arranging their exile in a third country. China and ROK should establish a joint plan for transitioning NK to a provisional government for the purpose of administering a peaceful reunification of Korea under one government, a la Germany. There is no good purpose that can be served by continuing to play games with NK. They have proven repeatedly that no amount of sanctions will stop them from obtaining nuclear weapons. This is primarily China’s responsibility, because China has been propping up the Kim regime since the fall of the Soviet Union. China needs to step up to the plate and do the right thing. How much farther will Kim’s nuclear ambitions go before he begins threatening all of his neighbors in the region? He’s already threatened to turn the ROK into a “sea of fire.” How will China respond when Kim decides to threaten them instead? Or even worse, what happens if Putin’s Russia decides to become best buddies with NK, re-establishing patron support of the Kim regime? China needs to take control of this situation while it still has the ability to do so.