[USFK Forums] Editorial: U.S.-North Korea talks [Korea Herald]

[C. Y. Lee]

Uploaded by C. Y. Lee on Monday, February 27, 2006

[EDITORIAL] U.S.-North Korea talks

Monday, February 27, 2006

The agreement between North Korea and the United States to meet in New York next week to discuss the North`s alleged counterfeiting of U.S. dollars raises hope for a possible breakthrough in the deadlocked negotiations on Pyongyang`s nuclear program.

Although U.S. officials said the meeting will be a "briefing" by "technical experts" and that it should not be linked to the disarmament talks, it certainly represents a positive development in their standoff.

One should note that both sides seem to have taken a step back from confrontation in order to set up their first official contact on the issue that has been blocking the six-party talks since last November. At that time, the North demanded separate bilateral talks on the counterfeiting issue, which Washington dismissed, saying that illegal financial activities are not a matter to be negotiated and that it should be separated from the nuclear talks. The North then rejected a U.S. proposal to give it a one-sided "briefing."

Despite subsequent efforts by South Korea and China to mediate between the two, neither side had budged an inch. The United States demanded an immediate halt to the North`s counterfeiting operations and its pledge to renounce it for ever, while Pyongyang insisted that Washington should first lift financial sanctions it had imposed.

Considering the wide gap between the two sides, it has yet to be seen whether they will be able to reach a compromise. What`s encouraging, however, is that the North`s decision to go to New York came on the heels of other seemingly reconciliatory gestures.

A vivid example was a Feb. 9 statement in which the North said it opposes all sorts of illegal financial acts and vowed to join international efforts against them. The statement also said the North has perfect legal and institutional mechanisms in hand to combat illegal acts such as counterfeiting and money laundering and severely punish anyone engaged in such activity.

In addition, the North`s recent avoidance of verbal attacks on Washington seems to indicate its willingness to resolve the issue. Any negotiation with the North can be tricky and unpredictable and one single round of talks rarely leads to an agreement. But it is hoped that Washington seizes the opportunity to talk the North into giving up its illicit financial activities and returning to the six-party talks.

It would be unwise for the United States to try and push the North into a corner and not allow it to save face. A recent demand by the U.S. ambassador to Seoul, Alexander Vershbow, that the North hand over plates and other equipment allegedly used to counterfeit U.S. notes may be understandable. But it is too excessive a demand to make at this stage. Demands like that won`t help the North drop its defiance and keep it from resorting to a new round of brinkmanship.

We hope commentators who hold the view that Washington is using the counterfeit row to counter the North`s demand that it get light-water nuclear reactor before giving up its nuclear development programs are wrong. Nor do we want to believe that Washington`s recent pressure on Pyongyang is part of its shift to a hardline policy toward the communist country. A greater hope, of course, is that the North comes clean about the allegations and renounce any illegal financial activities before it is too late.

2006.02.27


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