Introduction to the Special Issue, North Korea and Regional Security

Abstract

ASIANPERSPECTIVE, Vol. 32, No. 4, 2008, pp. 5-7. INTRODUCTION TO THE SPECIAL ISSUE, NORTH KOREA AND REGIONAL SECURITY MarkJ. Valencia This edited series of essays draws in part from discussions and papers presented at a Workshop on North Korea and Regional Security held April 15-16, 2008 in Seoul. Other papers were solicit­ ed to fill substantive gaps in coverage. The content begins with a brief overview of our discussions. This is followed by an explana­ tion of why America's North Korea nuclear policy failed and a suggested new approach. Next is a sampling of perspectives on the Six Party Talks (6PT) by scholars in some of the countries involved. The focus then turns to the critical questions regarding a multilateral security cooperation mechanism in Northeast Asia— its design, its institutional precedents and lessons learned, and a potential application in the maritime sphere. The editor wishes to thank Mel Gurtov and Peter Van Ness for the invitation to edit this issue and their encouragement while undertaking this task, as well as the individual authors for their contributions. The following is a brief summary of the contents. Gregory Moore explains why America's North Korea nuclear policy has been a failure. Instead of achieving its goal of preventing North Korea from possessing and proliferating nuclear weapons, it has had the opposite effect. This failure was a result of the Bush administration's blanket rejection of the previous administra­ tion's approach to North Korea, the tendency to ignore the advice of "experts," neoconservative influence on foreign policy, and divisions within the administration resulting in an inconsis­ tent approach. Moore suggests a bold initiative in which the 6 MarkJ. Valencia United States guarantees North Korea's security, proposes a peace agreement, and establishes full diplomatic recognition if North Korea guarantees not to attack South Korea, not to proliferate weapons of mass destruction or the means to produce them, and not develop more nuclear weapons. According to Chu Shulong and Lin Xinzhu, China views the 6PT as a major part of its foreign policy and thus for China the success of the talks is paramount. However, China believes the outcome is uncertain because North Korea will most likely want to keep its nuclear weapons to maintain its regime security. China hopes that North Korea will follow the Chinese example of regime security through economic strength. China supports a multilateral security arrangement for Northeast Asia. Georgy Toloraya argues that Russia has had a consistent policy of promoting a nuclear-free Korean peninsula, opposing resolution of the nuclear issue through pressure or sanctions, supporting a multilateral process and solution, promoting adherence to the rules of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty, and expanding mutually beneficial economic cooperation. North Korea has been generally positive about Russia's suggestions. However, the United States has not welcomed Russia's partic­ ipation in the process and has only belatedly and reluctantly rec­ ognized its positive role. Russia hopes the 6PT will gradually evolve into a multiparty security and cooperation system that will include a peaceful North Korea. This would be facilitated by international economic assistance to the North and institutio­ nalization of the 6PT. Successful Russia-U.S. cooperation here may have much wider positive implications. Chung-in Moon provides special insight into the role of the South Korean government under Roh Moo Hyun in the 6PT. It suggested innovative ideas by often defying the American posi­ tion to break impasses, and it facilitated the overall process of negotiation through proactive diplomacy. Moon describes the Roh government's initial perception of, and reactions to, U.S. policy evolution, explains its position on contentious issues such as the terms of engagement (sequential vs. simultaneous) and exchange (e.g., scope and method of denuclearization and recip­ rocal measures), and analyzes its role in facilitating the imple­ mentation of the joint statements that link the 6PT to a peace regime for Korea and a Northeast Asian regional security and Introduction to the Special Issue, North Korea and Regional Security 7 peace mechanism. The three concluding chapters are based on the premise that the current 6PT provide an opportunity to build new and unprecedented multilateral arrangements to enhance strategic stability and security...