North Korea’s decision to eject U.N. inspectors from a plant that had previously produced weapons-grade plutonium is an ominous development that demands a response.
The United States ought to tighten economic pressure on the country and enlist China and South Korea to do the same in an effort to persuade North Korea to live up to its promises to dismantle its nuclear infrastructure.
Some are speculating that North Korea’s action is related to the health of its leader, Kim Jong Il, who is believed to have suffered a stroke in mid-August.
The country’s leaders are notoriously tight-lipped about such matters, so whether that’s true is anyone’s guess.
However, just three months ago, North Korea made a big show of dismantling its nuclear capabilities by blowing up a cooling tower at Yongbyon, a move that followed months of disassembly work.
The carrot for the North Koreans was a deal that would bring food, fuel and a gradual end to diplomatic isolation for the poverty-stricken country. In exchange, North Korea would give up its nuclear aspirations.
The 2007 accord was the result of talks involving the U.S., Japan, South and North Korea, China and Russia.
The deal was particularly welcome given that two years ago North Korea had detonated a small nuclear device. As it turns out, the country also has been secretly testing the engine of a long-range missile.
Why is North Korea going back on the agreement?
It may be that the illness of Kim, 66, caused a power vacuum and those in the government with hawkish tendencies have gained the upper hand. Or it may be yet another example of North Korea’s favorite game of brinkmanship designed to heighten tensions and extract further concessions.
It’s also quite possible that North Korea never intended to give up the biggest international lever the immensely poor and socially repressive country has — the potential for a nuclear weapon.
In any case, barring inspectors from the reprocessing facility, where the heart of nuclear weapons would be created, is unacceptable.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said last week at the United Nations that the move by North Korea did not mean the end of multi-party talks with the country. She said there have been “ups and downs” in the process.
And that may be the case, but it seems a tepid response to a growing threat from an unstable country.
One thing should be clear to anyone who has watched the irrational actions of North Korean leadership: A world with a nuclear-armed North Korea would not be a safe place and the country’s reneging on the disarmament deal cannot go unanswered.
