Seoul needs new framework to cope with rapid change

By Choi Ha-young

Rep. Lee Soo-hyuck

South Korea may be sidelined in negotiations to resolve the North Korea nuclear and missile issues, not because of its diplomatic incapacity but because of the changing situation regarding Pyongyang's advanced missile technology, said a former chief negotiator for the six-party talks.

Rep. Lee Soo-hyuck of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) said the U.S., not South Korea, will have to take the helm in dealing with the unprecedented threat considering the characteristic of North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM), which it claims are capable of hitting the U.S. mainland.

Lee was the South Korean representative in the multilateral talks dedicated to denuclearizing the North in 2003. "Currently, North Korea is one of the few countries on earth that can attack the U.S. with missile capacity," Lee said in an interview with The Korea Times at his office in the National Assembly, Thursday. "The paradigm has changed dramatically. Washington is a player directly involved in the crisis."

It has been said that Pyongyang continues ICBM tests to show its intention to make a deal with Washington over the issue, not with Seoul, although President Moon Jae-in has vowed to take a leading role in addressing North Korean issues. So concerns have increased that Seoul may be excluded in talks, heightened by North Korea not responding to South Korean offers for military and nonpolitical talks.

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The career diplomat-turned-lawmaker refuted the opposition bloc's criticism of the Moon administration for Seoul's meager role and a lack of diplomatic leverage in dealing with the missile threat.

"It is inevitable for the U.S. to deal with it firsthand rather than having Seoul do so," Lee said. "This is not a result of the government's incompetence. This is because of the ICBMs, which are designed to target the U.S."

If negotiations develop, the South can take a certain role, Lee added. "Role sharing is needed. For example, the South Korean government can take the initiative in mapping out a sustainable peace regime and relieving military tensions on the Korean Peninsula."

This is what is expected to be discussed if negotiations begin after the war of nerves across the Pacific Ocean calms down, he said. He called for the North's complete nuclear renunciation as a goal of the talks. "In 2008, a nuclear freeze fell apart due to a conflict over making up a list of facilities to freeze. This time, we should demand complete nuclear renunciation."

In response to the escalating threats posed by the North, U.S. policymakers have given different messages: Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Tuesday the U.S. was willing to talk to the North, while President Donald Trump was quoted as saying that Washington may choose to strike Pyongyang if the latter sticks to its nuclear and missile programs.

Lee views this as not a contradiction. "This is part of coercive diplomacy," he said, emphasizing "diplomacy" rather than coercive.

"Like President Moon, who has touted dialogue with Kim Jong-un, the U.S. also seeks negotiations. On the way toward the negotiating table, a demonstration of military forces is sometimes required, just like President John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev did over the Cuban Missile Crisis."

Amid the prolonged suspension of inter-Korean relations, Lee recommended continuous efforts to open the door. "For now, Pyongyang won't accept our dialogue offer. Strategic judgment is required as to when and how to show our sincerity."