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[EDITORIALS]Let the Sunshine Policy set

Published: 11 Oct. 2006, 21:58

It is difficult to understand why former president Kim Dae-jung is propagandizing his Sunshine Policy following North Korea’s nuclear weapons test. He asked President Roh Moo-hyun not to give up or adjust the Sunshine Policy in a Blue House meeting on Tuesday. In addition, he made a speech for the Sunshine Policy at Chonnam National University yesterday. The Sunshine Policy might have been a useful North Korea policy when Mr. Kim was in office. But now that North Korea has conducted a nuclear test, it has become difficult for South Korea to carry out the policy. Still, Mr. Kim is persisting on the policy, causing confusion and disruption among South Koreans.
“North Korea has never said it would develop nuclear weapons because of South Korea’s Sunshine Policy. It said that it was developing nuclear weapons as a last resort to survive, because the United States was hard on the country,” Mr. Kim said. He also said the North Korea nuclear issue deteriorated because diplomatic efforts between Pyongyang and Washington failed, though inter-Korean relations were successful. His remark can be interpreted as saying it is the United States that causes trouble and North Korea’s nuclear weapons development is an inevitable choice to survive.
Seoul has given 4.5 trillion won ($4.7 billion) to North Korea over the last eight years under the Sunshine Policy. Considering that North Korea became nervous when only $24 million in Banco Delta Asia, based in Macao, was frozen, we can guess that the 4.5 trillion won donation from South Korea must have contributed to North Korea. Mr. Kim also said if the world ignores North Korea’s nuclear weapons ownership and continues to put pressure and economic sanctions on the country, it could provoke North Korea. Then does he mean that the world should accept North Korea’s nuclear weapons ownnership?
If South Korea wants success in its policies toward North Korea, it should have not only the carrot but also the stick. The carrot without the stick resulted in failure. Will South Korea continue to give carrots to North Korea, even when it has withdrawn from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, even when it has fired missiles and even when it has conducted a nuclear weapons test? Then there will be no reason for North Korea to change its policy. Though South Korea has declared, “We will never accept North Korea’s nuclear test,” it has not taken any concrete action. Mr. Kim should quit making remarks that cause confusion in the South Korean society.