A Peace Treaty with North Korea?

Kim Jong Il frames foreign policy in terms of the U.S. – we “forced” him develop to nuclear capabilities because we threaten his regime. And we, for reasons unknown, behave as if it’s true. People in the know say his goal is actually a peace treaty with us to ensure continuance of his rule. Since North Korea’s nuclear capability does not only, or even primarily, threaten us, why don’t we take up his offer?

Kim Jong Il frames foreign policy in terms of the U.S. – we “forced” him develop to nuclear capabilities because we threaten his regime. And we, for reasons unknown, behave as if it’s true. People in the know say his goal is actually a peace treaty with us to ensure continuance of his rule. Since North Korea’s nuclear capability does not only, or even primarily, threaten us, why don’t we take up his offer?

China, Russia, South Korea and Japan are more threatened than we and have more to lose. But with the focus on the U.S., others have been free to pursue their own priorities and undermine ours either in the belief that we would ultimately take care of Kim, or because undermining us is what they do. For China and South Korea, the priority is to keep North Koreans inside North Korea, fearing a tidal wave of poor and miserable souls should the North collapse and the borders open. They watched West Germany absorb the East, a costly and difficult operation but light years cheaper and easier than the unification of North and South Korea will be. South Korea doesn’t want to sacrifice its current prosperity and China has been shoving refugees back across the border for years in unpunished violation of UN rules on refugees escaping persecution.

American soldiers have been holding the line for South Korea since 1953, behind which the South Koreans have built a free, prosperous and democratic society that increasingly treats our troops as a threat to their way of life. With a U.S.-NK peace treaty, we could leave and they could have relations with the North unencumbered by us.

China and Russia know that a newly confident Japan – with troops in Afghanistan – is already reconsidering the constitutional limitations of its Self-Defense Forces. A nuclear North Korea would hasten the process in a way neither would like, so perhaps a U.S.-NK peace treaty would encourage both to take the sort of firm action against NK that they cannot with the U.S. in the middle.

We won’t, can’t and don’t want to leave the region. The U.S. should pursue and enhance the Proliferation Security Initiative to help ensure that North Korea is not shipping nuclear-related technology or equipment to others. And the U.S. should make it clear that transshipments will be dealt with harshly. We should protect our interests, not those of China, Russia or South Korea.

We admit to being revolted by the thought of formally acquiescing to the consignment of North Korea’s population to their gulag, but they are there now anyhow and the proposed sanctions will only deepen their isolation and pain.

OK, there won’t be a U.S.-NK peace treaty.

But as a matter of principle we must refuse to allow American policies to be the center of attention – North Korea’s behavior and pursuit of nuclear weapons is at the center – and we must find a way to awaken our regional “partners” to their obligations in this matter. Ours is only a modest proposal in that direction.