By T. S. Chandrashekar
Many sovereign countries in the world condemned George W. Bush for state intervention in Afghanistan and Iraq. But the majority of people in Afghanistan and Iraq are happier today than they were under the Taliban and Saddam Hussein regimes.
Democracy, human rights, the dignity of individuals and a free market have emerged in the two conflict-ravaged countries. Though the two nations are in the initial stage of democratic development, they will surely evolve as responsible states.
A nuclear crisis, suppression of civil rights, freedom of existence and isolation has made North Korea a remote hermit kingdom with a population of 23.4 million
Though the main guide of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is the Juche idea created by the late Great Leader Kim Il-sung, it has failed completely. People have become the slaves of the rulers, and they are there to serve him.
On the other hand, South Korea has led with a leap into democracy, carving itself in the world a strong place ― with Samsung, LG, Hyundai, Kia and Posco becoming household names in different parts of the world.
North Korea, a failed state involved in drug deals and arms exports to non-state actors, has become a threat to international peace and security.
Even the U.N. Security Council condemned North Korea's latest nuclear test, but there may be little left that the international community can do to punish the poor and isolated state.
China and South Korea are the biggest trading partners of North Korea, whose annual gross domestic product (GDP) is estimated at $20 billion, less than 3 percent the size of the South's economy.
Even if the United States, Japan and South Korea invade Pyongyang and liberate its people, it could lead to chaos on their borders and a bill estimated at more than $1 trillion for the South to absorb the North in the event of reunification.
Without any action, the United States could place North Korea back on its terrorism blacklist, a difficult bureaucratic process for Washington that would hurt the North's ability to tap into international finance.
The United States could consider its own trade and financial measures. South Korea could pull out of the joint factory park with the North, a costly and politically risky move for Seoul, which has obligations to its companies operating there.
But this would cut off a source of foreign currency for the government in Pyongyang, which is paid the salaries of the North Korean factory workers. New unilateral sanctions by Japan would have little impact, given the limited contact between the two countries.
Though there are U.N. Security Council sanctions in place against North Korea, the communist state has not heeded.
So the only solution for the world at the moment is to intervene and change the regime in North Korea and unify it with the South with the help of the United Nations and its neighbours.
Only then will the statement of President Barack Obama promising Japan and South Korea ``concrete measures to curtail North Korea" and vowing an ``unequivocal commitment" to the defense of both countries become true.
T. S. Chandrashekar is a former Ph.D. student in the political science department at Seoul National University. He currently resides in Banaglore, India, teaching Korean and doing consultancy. He can be reached at chandra@sarathiedu.com.