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When North Korea's Vice Foreign Minister and chief nuclear negotiator Kim Kye-gwan met his U.S. counterpart Christopher Hill in New York on March 5, Kim asked Hill to ¡°treat us the way you treat India.¡± The U.S. had been at odds with India over the past 30 years for not signing the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. But U.S. President George W. Bush signed the U.S.-India Nuclear Cooperation Agreement in 2006, which allows sales of nuclear technology to New Delhi.
Citing the Indian precedent, the North Korean vice foreign minister was sounding out U.S. opinion on whether diplomatic ties could be formed while Pyongyang still has nuclear weapons. If all goes according to North Korea¡¯s wishes, that will be the day when the chronic disease of nuclear weapons takes root on the Korean Peninsula.
The U.S. rejected Kim¡¯s demand. Speaking at a seminar in Washington D.C. on Monday, Hill said the United States ¡°will not form any ties with a nuclear-equipped North Korea.¡± He added that the Indian precedent will not be applied to North Korea and that Washington¡¯s goal is the abolition of North Korea¡¯s nuclear weapons and the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
But it is difficult to predict global political currents. Decisions based on U.S. interests can always change. Judging from the present situation in the Middle East, we can not exclude the possibility that the day may come when the top U.S. priority would be to prevent nuclear weapons from falling into the hands of terrorists. When that happens, it is a foregone conclusion that there will be an argument that diplomatic ties with North Korea could be one method of preventing nuclear proliferation. It is perhaps with that objective in mind that North Korea made the opening move in what could be a lengthy tug-of-war with the U.S.
Judging from the words and actions of lawmakers aligned with the ruling camp, it¡¯s very likely that there will be supporters of U.S.-North Korean diplomatic ties even if the nuclear problem is left unresolved. It¡¯s been some time since ruling-camp lawmakers stopped demanding North Korea scrap its nuclear program. In fact, they are racing to the Kaesong Industrial Complex, clamoring for an inter-Korean summit. Those were pretty much the only words uttered by the present and former heads of the Uri Party, who went to Pyongyang and the Kaesong Industrial Complex. Of the 20 or so ruling camp lawmakers that went to Kaesong, not a single one spoke about the need for North Korea to scrap its nuclear weapons.
The reason North Korea can even dream about forming diplomatic ties with the U.S. while keeping its nuclear weapons is because of politicians like these.
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