[Editorial] Two faces of missile negotiations

Negotiations concerning North Korean missile development are set to resume once again. The U.S. and North Korean officials have agreed to resume the missile talk in Kuala Lampur after a break-off 16 months ago. Following the U.S.-North Korean talks, another round of talks will begin on the 14th with U.S. and South Korea as main principals. A greater spotlight has been put on the current round of talks as it comes in the wake of United State`s failure in its own National Missile Defense system.

As North Korea has already agreed to curb its rocket launch program in an earlier accord, the main focus of the current rounds will deal with the question of further missile development and export to non-friendly or neutral states. While the U.S. hopes to curb North Korea`s missile development program as it tries to implement world peace initiative, North Korea has claimed such interference is an infringement on their sovereign jurisdiction. Such difference will not be an easy obstacle to overcome.

We have kept the position that any political measure which heightens the missile arms race in the Northeast Asian region is unacceptable and North Korea should become a member of MTCR(Missile Technology Control Regime) thereby participating in the international effort to control and wipe out weapons of mass destruction. With the landmark summit between the two Koreas bringing new sense of hope for peace in the peninsula, many have commented that North Korea`s willingness to join the international community in its missile control effort would bring a new sense of understanding for the Communist state.

For the U.S., they should take a more aggressive stance in economic aid to North Korea and lay down the ground works for a mutually beneficial relationship with N.K.

The same principles are at work in the U.S.- S. Korea missile talks. It is a baseless claim that should South Korea continue its research and development to extend the range of current 180km-range missiles to those with capability of reaching 300 km, it would only heighten the tension which could lead to an arms race. S. Korea has firmly stated its intention to adhere to the international guidelines aimed at maintaining peace in the peninsula. The current missile research and development is a limited one with the objective of providing a better defense for S. Korea.

The strong position taken by the U.S. cannot be thought to be unrelated to its failure of the NMD test launch. While the U.S. insists its NMD program is developing missiles which could protect U.S. territories against the missiles launched by non-friendly nations, many feel the program is an actual means to restrain China and Russia. There needs to be a international forum representing those states which disagree with the stated aim of the NMD to discuss its future. The NMD program can lead to heightened sense of anxiety among the four states surrounding S. Korea and may lead to detriment in the peace and safety of our nation.

It is the time for all to take careful steps in order to bringing about peaceful and wise settlements of the question of missile development in the Korean peninsula and the U.S. NMD program.