Anuclear test was carried out safely and successfully," North Korea through the Central News Agency declared on Oct. 9, 2006. It also said, "The nuclear test was conducted with indigenous wisdom and technology 100%." Such North Korea's action unilaterally annulled and destroyed the inter-Korean joint statement of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula agreed between the two Koreas in 1991. President Roh Moo-hyun signaled a shift to a harder stance toward North Korea in the aftermath of its reported nuclear test. "North Korea's nuclear test has left us with little or no room to continue engaging it. I can assure you that our relations with North Korea will change drastically from this point on," said Roh. "The engagement policy clearly did not work and unfortunately had to bear witness to North Korea's nuclear test, but I do not believe it was the direct cause of it," said the President. Immediately, the U.N. Security Council (15-member countries) passed the Resolution 1718 under the U.N. Charter's Chapter 7 that authorizes all U.N. member states to implement sanctioning measures, branding the North's nuclear test a "clear threat to international peace and security." The South Korean government also welcomed the UNSC resolution. "The government respects the Security Council's decision and will faithfully implement it," said the spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. "We warned that North Korea would have nothing to win but only to lose if it conducts a nuclear test. Now, we should give a lesson to the North that it should have not done this," said Song Minsoon, presidential senior secretary for Security Affairs. Meanwhile, the North Korea reacted, saying, "If any nation dares to menace our sovereignty and autonomy with an excuse of the UNSC resolution, they would be brutally and mercilessly punished." The North warned that the South's participation in sanctions would be seen as a serious probation leading to a "crisis of war" on the Korean Peninsula. Despite the escalating security situation following the nuclear test, the South' engagement policy and ongoing economic projects with the North should go on, according to a high-ranking Unification Ministry official. "There will be more to lose than to gain if we stop the ongoing inter-Korean business projects." According to official, the Gaeseong Industrial Park is efficient in reforming and opening North Korea and the Mt. Geumgang tour project also has a high significance. The Seoul government will make the necessary adjustments in operations. For an example, Seoul should seek to pay directly for Gaeseong complex workers to deflect criticism that the projects might be funding the North's nuclear weapons. The North earned US$950 million since the first project, Geumgang, opened in 1998, and Gaeseong opened two years ago. South Korea has settled all business bills, including salaries, in dollars. After the North nuclear test, South Korea is losing reason to maintain its engagement policy toward the North. A perfect example of Seoul's dilemma is the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) against trade of weapons of massdestruction and related materials. The latest U.N. resolution underlies the U.S. intention to expand the PSI members to include all of the 192 U.N. member states. Recently, South Korea's Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon was formally elected by the United Nations as the world body's next Secretary- General. As the country of the world body's head, the South Korea should admit the necessity of expanding participation in the PSI. Today, more than 48 million people living in South Korea are on the verge of being taken a hostage by the nuclear weapons of the North. The latest North nuclear test yield to raise tensions in the Korean Peninsula as well as Northeast Asia. I would like to ask North Korean leader, "Why have you done such threatening and dangerous deeds? Why did you express such hostilities against the South? I am sure that it will means only collapse not the peaceful coexistence between Seoul and Pyongyang. The best outcome would be for North Korea to accept the obligations stated in the U.N. resolution and returning unconditionally to the Six- Party Talks. Also, the South and the North should try to open dialogue with face-to-face to maintain the permanent peace on the Peninsula as well as Northeast Asia.
Anuclear test was carried out safely and successfully," North Korea through the Central News Agency declared on Oct. 9, 2006. It also said, "The nuclear test was conducted with indigenous wisdom and technology 100%." Such North Korea's action unilaterally annulled and destroyed the inter-Korean joint statement of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula agreed between the two Koreas in 1991.
