Can NY Phil Concert in NK Resolve Denuclearization?
By Yoon Won-sup
Staff Reporter
Will the New York Philharmonic concert usher in the beginning of new era of diplomacy in Washington-Pyongyang relations amid North Korea's nuclear weapons standoff?
The concert could play at least a starting point for the two countries to reconsider their ties by this cultural gesture.
The musical diplomacy is reminiscent of the ping-pong diplomacy in which table tennis players went to Beijing to play in contests to help the United States soften its relations with China in the 1970s.
Among other things, U.S. President George W. Bush didn't exclude the possibility of further cultural exchange with North Korea on condition that the communist country makes progress toward denuclearization.
Plus, through the Pyongyang concert, the United States delivered a message that it hopes to resolve the nuclear problem during Bush's presidency, according to a report.
The U.S.-funded Voice of America (VOA) said former U.S. Ambassador to Seoul Donald Gregg and former U.S. Defense Secretary William Perry conveyed such a message to Kim Kye-gwan, top North Korean nuclear envoy.
``We explained that it would be easier for North Korea to deal with the nuclear issue with the Bush administration than with the next administration,'' Gregg was quoted as saying. ``The North's uranium enrichment program and alleged nuclear technology transfer to Syria should be cleared.''
Now all eyes are turning to the stalled six-party talks, aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear ambition. The talks failed to make any progress for the North's denclearization since North Korea refused to submit a full list of nuclear weapons' programs by the end of 2007.
Yu Myung-hwan, nominee for foreign minister, also said the Lee Myung-bak government will maintain the six-party framework to resolve North Korea's nuclear stance.
``It is true that the six-party talks made some achievements on the nuclear issue,'' Yu said during a parliamentary confirmation hearing, Wednesday. ``We will do our best to encourage North Korea to follow the denuclearization process as quickly as possible.''
Yu added the nuclear issue is the most important agenda for the new government to tackle.
North Korea seems to be opening diplomatic channels to some extent by its confirmation that famous guitarist and singer Eric Clapton's would perform next year, surprising the world since it banned rock and pop music in the state.
North Korea allowed the U.S. national anthem to be played with its national flag hoisted. Anti-U.S. propaganda boards were also removed from around Pyongyang for the concert.
Zahrin Mehta, president of the New York Philharmonic, said his orchestra brought great music to a nation with notoriously little contact with the outside world.