Overreaction Benefits North Korea
By Richard Saccone
North Korea once again positioned itself at the head of the U.S. foreign policy queue by launching its most developed missile, the Taepodong-2, Sunday.
While the communist regime claimed it placed a satellite in space like its ally Iran did not long ago, American defense officials tracking the missile disputed the achievement, sticking to the charge that the launch was merely a poorly disguised attempt to conceal a test of North Korean intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) technology.
However, the penetrating question remains: How should the United States respond to the entire episode? Initially, the administration threatened to shoot down the missile, before wisely backing away. Then it called for sanctions, and finally returned to demands that the North cease launch preparations immediately.
After liftoff, the United States moved swiftly into verbal attack mode, condemning the action while plastering the North with fresh threats of punishment, including additional sanctions.
Unfortunately for the United States, all of these responses are counterproductive and doomed to continue generating the reverse of the intended effect.
Almost without exception, North Koreans stiffen in resolve when threatened, especially by the United States, a simple fact our officials appear unable to recognize after nearly 60 years of dealing with them across the negotiating table.
Our policy of confronting the North at every turn always produces the same affect: a continued escalation of hostile action by North Korea.
In the current situation, the North counter-threatened to shoot down U.S. spy planes and treat any foreign attempt to obstruct the launch as a provocation of war.
In addition, it holds two U.S. journalists hostage for illegally entering North Korea under the threat of a trial and severe penalty.
As we discovered during the negotiations with the North Koreans in the early part of this decade, they are capable, and sometimes difficult, negotiating adversaries, but are quite reasonable when approached in a sincere, logical manner free of threats.
The current U.S. government has fallen into the same trap as all the previous administrations since 1950, choosing the politically popular confrontational route instead of a more reasoned approach.
Especially in this instance, the North carefully respected international rules of notification, insisting the missile was meant for peaceful purposes.
The United States looked foolish, initially condemning the launch as a blatant cover for military purposes before announcing only a week later that its own satellite images showed the missile appeared to carry a satellite payload after all.
Unfortunately, U.S. officials suffer a history of knee-jerk overreactions to perceived North Korean aggression and being forced later to remove the egg from their own faces.
The North American Air Defense Command (NORAD) has since confirmed that the missile posed no threat to the United States at any time.
North Korea's clever method of following proper protocol as if it were launching a peaceful satellite blurred the argument for a tough international response by China and Russia, both of which are calling for moderation against the North.
The United States must stop pursuing its North Korea foreign policy in the national newspapers. Instead, it should replace public condemnation with private offers of improved relations in response to specific North Korean behavior.
Changing U.S. policy will not be easy because of the lengthy history of antagonism between the two countries.
However, America's new envoy to North Korea put it well, noting that the best policy is one of ``patience and perseverance." Dealing with the North is frustrating only because we continue employing the same failed tactics.
Hollow ultimatums coupled with meaningless resolutions are certain failures that play into the hands of hard-liners in the North Korean military.
One should expect a more sophisticated methodology from diplomats after decades of gaining no ground. It is time to consider alternatives that work, and there are several from which to choose.
Americans need not sacrifice their values or security to deal with North Koreans, but simply engage them from a collaborative mindset as opposed to an entrenched adversarial one. Such an approach has demonstrated success. Isn't it time we try it again?
Dr. Richard Saccone teaches international relations and political science at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa., the United States. He has lived and worked in both North and South Korea for 14 years. He has written seven books on the subject, including ``Negotiating With North Korea," and his most recent book, ``Living with the Enemy: Inside North Korea." He can be reached at richard.saccone@email.stvincent.edu.