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International
Community Debates Sanctions After North Korea's Nuclear Test Claim |
Posted:
10.11.06
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Soon after North Korea announced it had detonated a nuclear weapon
Monday, the international community began debating sanctions aimed
at forcing the secretive communist country to give up its nuclear
activities.
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The announcement of a nuclear test by North Korea drew quick
condemnation from world leaders -- allies and foes alike.
 President
Bush called the claim "a threat to international peace and
security," and urged the United Nations Security Council
to pass a resolution to punish North Korea.
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Hu Jintao,
South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun and Japanese Prime Minister
Shinzo Abe echoed the U.S. president's criticism of North Korea
as the U.N. Security Council continued to negotiate terms of a
resolution that could include trade and transport sanctions.
The United States has proposed cargo inspections aimed at halting
North Korea's nuclear and conventional weapons programs, and other
"illicit activities" such as counterfeiting and drug
running.
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Japan tightening
sanctions |
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Japan, which had already imposed some travel and financial sanctions
on North Korea following missile tests in July, is pushing for
the harshest measures.
 Japan's
cabinet announced it would ban all imports from North Korea and
prevent all North Korean ships from entering Japanese ports.
"The country whose security is most affected by these actions
by North Korea is Japan," Japan's chief cabinet secretary
Yasuhisa Shiozaki told reporters, Reuters reported.
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Damaged relations
with ally China |
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China, which is both a major trading partner of North Korea and
a powerful, veto-holding member of the UN Security Council, said
the nuclear test would have a negative effect on relations with
North Korea.
The nuclear test was an embarrassment to China, which had claimed
it could use its diplomatic connections to convince North Korea
not to go forward with a nuclear test.
China's UN ambassador called for "a firm, constructive,
appropriate but prudent response to North Korea's nuclear threat."
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Sanctions
on foreign aid |
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Both China and South Korea support food and aid programs in North
Korea, where Human Rights Watch said 1 million North Koreans died
from starvation in the 1990s, and millions are now at risk.
 The
group warned against sanctions on aid, saying "North Korea's
nuclear weapons program can have devastating security implications
in the region, but suspending food aid could be lethal for ordinary
North Koreans."
South Korea suspended aid after North Korea's summer missile
test and has increased military readiness at the heavily guarded
demilitarized zone between the two countries.
But the neighbor has taken a soft approach since the nuclear
test announcement.
"South Korea will seek a stern yet calm and strategically
coordinated measure to deal with the nuclear crisis," the
country's president, Roh Moo-hyun, said Monday, the Associated
Press reported.
Moon Chung-in, a South Korean ambassador, told the Times, "Let's
face the reality: North Korea is a nuclear power and it won't
be easy to change that. ... Now we've got to learn how to live
with it."
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Failed diplomatic
efforts |
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The test came after years of diplomatic wrangling.
 In
1994, North Korea promised to freeze its nuclear weapons program
in return for aid, but, in 2003, prevented international inspections
and withdrew from the nuclear nonproliferation treaty.
After a framework was developed for negotiation with China, South
Korea, Japan, Russia and the United States, North Korea abandoned
the six-party discussions in 2005, demanding -- unsuccessfully
-- one-on-one talks with the United States.
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North Korea
focused on the United States |
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As North Korea pledged continued nuclear tests Wednesday, UN
Secretary-General Kofi Annan urged the United States to participate
in talks, even one-on-one if needed.
North Korea's foreign ministry said, via the state-controlled
Korean Central News Agency, "We are ready for both dialogue
and confrontation" with the United States, the Associated
Press reported.
The statement also said if the United States continued to take
a "hostile attitude," the North Korean government would
consider it a declaration of war.
 President
Bush said Wednesday the United States has "no intentions
of attacking" North Korea but added that the United States
"reserves all options to defend our friends in the region."
Ri Jong-hyok, a member of North Korea's legislature, defended
North Korea's right to develop a nuclear deterrent.
"Our country has been under severe sanctions and threats
by the United States for more than 60 years. It is in our supreme
interest and that of the security of our state to defend ourselves
when serious threats appear," RI said, Reuters reported.
Ri said North Korea would only resume an international discussion
if Washington lifted financial sanctions.
--Compiled
by Adnaan Wasey for NewsHour Extra
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