The international community will impose another sanction on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) through the United Nations resolution in response to the 5th nuclear test that the nation conducted on September 9. The United States has launched ‘a three-grade strategy’ against DPRK, relying on its military capabilities, which provokes a calamitous, critical situation in the Korean Peninsula.


LET’S EVADE AND NEUTRALIZE CRISIS IN KOREAN PENINSULA


Reportedly, the fifth nuclear test is a test for a nuclear warhead to be mounted on a missile and is bigger in size. A few weeks before on August 24, DPRK launched a missile from a submarine (SLBM). The country will be a nuclear nation. The US and allies in the rest of the world are to intensify sanction on DPRK, condemning the nuclear program.


However, the UN resolutions and sanctions have not worked effectively to today. These measures have been futile in deterring nuclear program of DPRK. The US and Republic of Korea (ROK) have lately shifted to military sanctions from economic ones. The US operates the three-stage tailored deterrence strategy: deployment of B1 strategic bombers and aircraft carriers around the peninsula in the first stage, and then first nuclear strike in response to an imminent use of nuclear arms by DPRK in the second stage. The Korean Peninsula is seriously tense in the military terms.


Japan’s Diplomacy Lacking Reason


This critical situation must be neutralized by any means. Japan, who is proud of a peaceful nation, must play a right role. Premier Minister Abe Shinzo, however, behaves in an opposite way, calling the situation ‘a new stage of threat’, negotiating secretly to urge other nations to agree to another UN resolution to escalate sanction against DPRK. The government of Abe even asks Pakistan for cooperation, a country which conducted nuclear tests in 1998 to become a nuclear nation, but is not a member of Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). The premier completely lacks reason in his diplomacy.


What Japan should do is not imposing sanction. It must make effort to fulfill the two agreements, the Pyongyang Declaration between Japan and DPRK and the Stockholm Agreement. In this way the Japanese government must seek a way for dialogue with DPRK to solve problems, including the issue of abduction of Japanese citizens.


The international community should go to a positive direction to solve the conflict in the Korean Peninsula, focusing on the very core of the problem. The key party is the United States. The relationship between the US and DPRK is in the status of ceasefire of the Korean War. The armistice agreement specifies withdrawal of foreign troops and efforts for peaceful settlement, but the US and ROK have remained negligent.


The international community should denounce the US-led hostile policy against DPRK to bring a fundamental change. The nuclear program of DPRK cannot be solved by sanctions only. An exclusively military orientation may lead to a war. The US should open a negotiation door to break through the standoff.


Nuclear Deterrence should be abandoned


The New Socialist Party maintains elimination of nuclear weapons from the world and opposes development of these arms. International conferences have been repeatedly held to this aim, but Big Nuclear Powers have remained inactive. The 2015 NPT Conference failed in reaching an agreement due to their attitudes.


Reacting to the recent developments in DPRK, some people demand nuclear armament in ROK. It is necessary to abandon the concept of nuclear deterrence in order to get through the stalemate. The United Nations Security Council, which is consisted of Nuclear Powers, should take initiative for this purpose.


Japan depends on US nuclear weapons, exports vigorously nuclear power plants and restart stations which have been suspended of operation after the earthquakes in 2011. The nation has experienced Hiroshima, Nagasaki and Fukushima. It must learn lessons and review rightly to reflect on foreign policies, pro-active peace diplomacy, in particular. The war legislation that may cause military tensions must be renounced.



October 4, 2016