America Is at a Loss in Regard to North Korea’s Foreign Affairs

There Is Not Much that Obama Can Do About North Korean Foreign Affairs

In an April 17 statement, North Korean representatives said that the U.S.-North Korea agreement signed in February was compromised, and its uranium-enrichment efforts are no longer constrained. Due to the fact that there is not much the U.S. can do about North Korea, it is plausible to believe that North Korea will persist in its efforts to shake the American government. The Obama administration therefore finds itself in sore straits.

The Obama administration has adopted the policy of “strategic patience” with North Korea,; that is, as long as North Korea remains inactive on the nuclear issue, the U.S. will not have a dialogue with North Korea. Beginning in the summer of 2011, however, the U.S. turned to the dialogue strategy and a U.S.-Democratic People’s Republic of Korea agreement was reached. This is the initial result from the dialogue strategy — but now it has again been compromised.

With the election approaching, if the Obama administration were to restart a new dialogue with North Korea, that course is bound to be criticized and regarded by the nation as sign of weakness in regard to North Korea. Hence, it is plausible to say that from now on America can only seek to enforce the effectiveness of sanctions and intensify pressures on North Korea. On the other hand, North Korea is evincing an attitude of wanting to shake America’s position by all means. The North Korean Foreign Ministry “resolutely and totally reject”* the Security Council resolutions and on April 17 stated that it was “able to take necessary retaliatory measures.”*

South Korean experts, however, think that although North Korea stated that it is “no longer bound to”* the DPRK-U.S. agreement, the issues surrounding the resumption of uranium-enrichment and nuclear test were not directly mentioned in the statement. Some experts believe that North Korea is making its moves in anticipation of America’s next move, with the ultimate goal to bring the U.S. back to the negotiating table.

Although Leon Panetta, U.S. Secretary of Defense, strongly hoped for a diplomatic solution, at the moment America is at a loss as to how to deal with North Korea.

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said that the Clinton, Bush and Obama administrations have all experienced betrayal by North Korea. During the hearing Ros-Lehtinen also said the negotiation with North Korea is endless.

Ros-Lehtinen, speaking about the vicious cycle of “Negotiation-Betrayal-Provocation,”* said that the United States and its allies have repeatedly offered concessions and lent a helping hand to the North Korean government, as well as attempted to reach an agreement with the country, but ultimately yet another betrayal from North Korea will be inevitable.

*Editor’s note: Although accurately translated, these statements could not be independently verified.