Why Washington Needs a New North Korea Strategy
07/09/14
Doug Bandow
Security, Diplomacy, North Korea, United States
Washington should engage diplomatically with the Pyongyang. Doing so might not change anything, but that would be no worse than the status quo.
North
Korea has imprisoned one American since 2012 and announced its
intention to try two other U.S. citizens recently arrested for “perpetrating hostile acts.”
Having no diplomatic relations with the Democratic People’s Republic of
Korea, the Obama administration cannot even inquire as to the
prisoners’ welfare, but instead must rely on Sweden, which acts in
Washington’s stead. The United States should create official ties with
the DPRK.
Countries
have long used diplomatic relations as a weapon, even though
recognition confirms geopolitical reality, rather than validates
government policy. A state cannot be wished away even if it is
controlled by unpleasant, distasteful or antagonistic forces. When
issues between nations arise, it is usually best if the governments talk
to each other. And that is easiest done if they both have diplomats in
each other’s countries.
Nevertheless,
politics has long dominated diplomacy surrounding the Korean peninsula.
Washington and Pyongyang have never recognized each other. South Korea
and Japan also do not have relations with the North. Throughout the Cold
War, the Soviet Union and People’s Republic of China did not recognize
the Republic of Korea. (For most of that time, the PRC and United States
also did not officially talk.) One longstanding proposal to break the
diplomatic deadlock was “cross-recognition,”
by which everyone would recognize everyone. The United States, Japan
and the ROK would establish ties with North Korea, and the USSR, PRC and
North Korea would open diplomatic relations with the South.
The
end of the Cold War delivered the last half of that deal. Russia went
first, followed by China, Pyongyang’s most important ally. Two decades
later, the allied powers still have not formally acknowledged North
Korea’s existence.
Read full articlehttp://nationalinterest.org/feature/why-washington-needs-new-north-korea-strategy-10832
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