What to do about North Korea's nuclear weapons

I have been involved in North Korean issues since 1989, and have written numerous articles on North Korea that have been published in South Korea, Japan, and the United States. The North Korean political system is extremely harsh and eventual reunification with the South should be a priority for American foreign policy. Nevertheless, the fact remains that it is the United States and not North Korea that reneged on its obligations under the Agreed Framework signed between the two countries in 1994. The United States and its allies were supposed to supply a (relatively) safe light-water nuclear reactor by 2003 to replace the Chernobyl-style graphite nuclear reactor that North Korea agreed to shut down. By 2003 construction on the new reactor had barely started, prompting North Korea to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty and resume its nuclear program. While this was no doubt an unfortunate development, North Korea was entirely within its sovereign right to do so. Moreover, these actions were taken amidst the backdrop of George Bush declaring North Korea to be part of an "Axis of Evil" along with Iraq and Iran and promptly invading Iraq (which, by the way, was the only one of the three countries without a nuclear program).

Still, the solution to this problem may not be as difficult as it seems. North Korea's demands are reasonable and largely symbolic. It wants direct negotiations with the United States, a non-aggression pact with the United States, and full diplomatic relations with the United States. The first two would not cost our tax payer a single dollar, while the third costs only the price of opening an embassy in Pyongyang. I want to emphasize that if we had diplomats in Pyongyang we would have a much better idea of what is actually going on over there.

Our position should be for a nuclear-free Korean peninsula, which not only involves North Korea abolishing its weapons program but the United States withdrawing its nuclear weapons from South Korea. As Congressman, I would travel to North Korea to meet with government officials and assure them that I will work within Congress to push for direct negotiations, a non-aggression pact, diplomatic relations, a nuclear-free zone in the Korean peninsula, and eventual reunification of North and South Korea. I will also explain to them that I will be more likely to suceed if they refrain from further tests of their nuclear weapons and missile programs.

I will also travel to South Korea to consult with South Korean officials. If Korea is ever to reunite, it will be the South that will bear the considerable burden of pulling millions of people in the North out of poverty and deprivation, and the South must be given much of the initiative on our common policy towards the North. I will also go to Japan, where I already have excellent contacts in the government and media. (Keep in mind that I am fluent in Japanese.) I will try to persuade the Japanese not to over-react to North Korea's provocative tests and arm themselves with nuclear weapons.

I understand that as a Congressman I could not speak for the United States government, but it is very common for Congressman to travel overseas and meet with foreign officials. Because of my ten years of living in Asia and my Japanese and Korean contacts and linguistic ability, I feel that I could play a vital role in defusing the situation until a calmer administration take over in Washington.