By Sunny Lee
Korea Times correspondent
BEIJING ― South Korea should depart from its signature "quiet diplomacy" if it wants to take the Cheonan issue to the U.N. Security Council because neither the U.S. nor China will push the case hard enough, said an American expert Thursday.
"You know, South Koreans always try to be very diplomatic with regard to Washington and Beijing. Now, you need to stop being diplomatic and be willing to complain in public," said Gordon Chang, the author of "Nuclear Showdown: North Korea Takes on the World," in a telephone interview with The Korea Times.
Seoul officially held Pyongyang responsible for the sinking of the navy frigate that broke in two following an explosion on March 26, killing 46 South Korean sailors.
It is determined to take the matter to the U.N. Security Council, but Beijing ― North Korea's long-time enabler ― is likely to show a muted response.
Chang said South Korea should engage in boisterous diplomacy, demanding China act as a responsible stakeholder of global affairs by ceasing to indulge North Korea's aberrant behavior.
"One thing that South Korea should do is show they are willing to complain in public about China's behavior in supporting North Korea. South Koreans never do that.
"The Chinese are very concerned about their public position. Everyone in the world says how responsible the Chinese are. But somebody actually needs to stand up and say, 'No. They are not very responsible,"' said Chang.
He said South Korea should also press the United States not to waiver its commitment to South Korea's effort to bring North Korea to the UNSC.
Earlier this week, U.S. State Department spokesman Philip Crowley, when asked if Washington supports Seoul's plans to call for stronger sanctions against North Korea, he was noncommittal. He merely said, "We will be talking to South Korea about that issue," according to Yonhap News Agency.
"I don't think the Obama administration is really that serious about South Korea. They say they are, but whether they are going to do something about [Cheonan] or not is a different issue," Chang said.
Chang, who is a frequent commentator on CNN about North Korea, said: "I don't think right now the Obama administration has made up its mind about what to do. It's wavering. That's why South Korea needs to be very tough with the United States."
He even suspects that the U.S. and China are colluding in a tradeoff. Namely, China signs the U.S.-initiated United Nations sanctions resolution on Iran, and the U.S., in exchange, sides with China in not agreeing that North Korea should be brought to the UNSC.
"Basically what they are doing is, China said to the United States it would vote for the Iran sanctions if the U.S. won't bring North Korea up to the Security Council," Chang said.
On Tuesday, a New York Times editorial welcomed China's decision to join the new United Nations Security Council sanctions on Iran and yet raised eyebrows over China's surprise move, by asking: "We can't wait to hear what changed Beijing's mind."
Analysts say the U.S., which owes China some $2 trillion, needs China's support in curbing Iran's nuclear ambitions, which is a bigger U.S. priority than North Korean belligerence.
Observers also say that the two don't want to derail the six-party nuclear talks by pushing the Cheonan issue too hard.
The Associated Press said it would be a "tricky" task for the U.S. to decide how to respond to North Korea's sinking of the South Korean warship.
"What South Korea has to do is to make sure that the United States doesn't waver," Chang said.
He argued that securing firm support from Washington is the first crucial step "before it does anything about China."
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