1994 again?

N. Korea should act on denuclearization

President Lee Myung-bak seems to be skeptical over former U.S. President Jimmy Carter’s role in thawing the stalled inter-Korean relations. His rationale looks convincing in view of Pyongyang’s refusal to apologize for the torpedoing of a South Korean Navy ship and the shelling of Yeonpyeong Island. However, Seoul should not dismiss his peacemaker role for the sake of it.

The former Nobel Peace Prize winner and three retired leaders from Ireland, Finland and Norway are in Pyongyang. Carter, the former U.S. Navy expert on nuclear weapons, wants to discuss the food situation, human rights and denuclearization in his meetings with North Korean leaders, hopefully including Kim Jong-il and Kim Jong-eun.

Seoul’s focus of interest in their visit is whether Kim Jong-il will apologize over the two latest provocations toward the South.

Experts expect little possibility of Pyongyang’s apology but predict Carter will not visit Seoul empty-handed.

His visit comes at a time when China seeks the resumption of the six-party denuclearization talks. The North reportedly aired the possibility of stationing IAEA inspectors at its nuclear sites. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was purportedly unable to get a clear answer from President Lee on reopening the six-way talks.

Seoul leaders and Carter have tried to preempt any unrealistically high expectations. Seoul made it clear its position of no talks prior to Pyongyang’s apology.

President Lee is under international pressure to resume talks with the North. His hawkish stance might not change unless the North makes the apology and takes concrete action toward denuclearization. Lee would be pragmatic enough not to reject the North’s offer for talks although he prioritizes the result to the process toward realizing the goal.

Lee should not risk taking the blame for refusing talks. Kim Jong-il should know that he could not persuade President Lee through his hackneyed verbal tactics and gambits.

It might be premature for Washington to propose the North’s scrapping of nuclear weapons in return for its opening diplomatic ties with Pyongyang.

Carter played a crucial role in averting a hair-triggering war in 1994 when the North started the production of nuclear weapons.

His visit paved the way for a dramatic but an aborted inter-Korean summit between leaders of the Koreas, Kim Young-sam and Kim Il-sung. The meeting did not materialize due to the latter’s sudden death. During his second visit to Pyongyang last August, Carter could not even meet Kim Jong-il.

Regardless of the outcome, few could discount Carter’s unrequited devotion to inter-Korean peace. Branding him as a sycophant to the communist country is an affront to the elder statesman. His humanitarian care for malnourished North Korean children should receive international attention.

The Koreas should take a step back to find common ground, at least to reduce tension. Dialogue is better than not talking at all. North Korea needs concrete action, not rhetoric, to convince South Koreans. U.S. President Barack Obama must move beyond his strategic patience with the North.