North Korea needs reality check

The United Nations Security Council on Tuesday unanimously approved Resolution 2087, which expands sanctions on North Korea. China surprisingly approved the move.

“Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula has become impossible. Therefore, we will proceed to conduct a third nuclear test.” This is what North Korea said two hours after the new resolution was approved. “The six-party talks and the 2005 nuclear agreement have come to an end due to hostile policies by the U.S.,” Pyongyang added. It makes no sense for North Korea to blame other countries when it threatened world peace by violating UN resolutions to launch long-range missiles. The communist regime should know that its style of brinkmanship is long outdated. The Obama administration, which just began its second term, also ruled out buying “the same word” twice.

North Korea should realize that a third nuclear test will merely further isolate itself from the rest of the world. Building relations with North Korea “based on trust” was a campaign pledge of President-elect Park Geun-hye of South Korea. If the North proceeds with another nuclear test, the incoming administration in Seoul cannot cancel sanctions.

Dong-A Ilbo, Jan. 24