South Korea's response to North Korea's sinking of the Navy corvette
Cheonan is being increasingly blunted after encountering resistance
on all fronts. President Lee Myung-bak announced a list of steps against North
Korea over the sinking of the Navy corvette Cheonan in an address to
the nation on May 24, but counter-threats from North Korea and lack
of support from China have thrown a spanner in the works.
◆ China's Reluctance
Seoul on June 5 officially referred the sinking to the UN Security
Council's 15 permanent and non-permanent members by sending a
letter to chairman Claude Heller of Mexico. The cooperation of
permanent member China is needed for a resolution against the
North, but Beijing, a close North Korea ally, is sitting on the fence.
Seoul's diplomatic efforts have focused on persuading Beijing.
Second Vice Foreign Minister Chun Young-woo met senior Chinese
Foreign Ministry officials in Beijing for three days from Tuesday to
convince them that a UNSC resolution should make clear that the
sinking was the result of an "armed attack from the North." But Beijing
is unwilling to accept the wording.
On June 2, chief nuclear negotiator Wi Sung-lac went to Russia to
seek cooperation. A Russian team of naval experts have checked the
finding of an international probe into the sinking and they seemed to
conclude there is insufficient evidence to implicate North Korea. But
their official conclusions will only be announced next month.
A South Korean Foreign Ministry official expressed hope that China
could change its mind if Russia comes on side.
◆ Trade Sanctions
The Unification Ministry has halted all inter-Korean economic
cooperation and exchange projects except the joint-Korean Kaesong
Industrial Complex, as announced on May 24.
The North is estimated to lose over US$320 million per year in cash
revenue alone. The industrial park has been maintained, but the
number of South Korean staff there was cut by half from about 1,000
to about 500. A government official said the South could suspend
operation of the industrial park if the North bans South Korean staff
from traveling and leaves them stranded there, or detains any of
them.
If the industrial park is closed, the North would lose some $40 million-
$50 million per year in what is nominally billed as "salaries" for 43,000
North Korean workers there.
◆ Military Exercise Delayed
The Defense Ministry decided to delay or downscale a joint South
Korea-U.S. military exercise in the West Sea and propaganda
broadcasts across the military demarcation line. Seoul and
Washington had planned to start the joint maritime exercise in the
West Sea on Tuesday but put it off until after mid-June.
Despite the ministry's claim that it is "adjusting" the schedule to
"maximize the effects" of the exercise, there is widespread
speculation that this is due to opposition from Beijing, which does not
want a noisy U.S. military presence on its doorstep.
The ministry also planned to resume propaganda broadcasts
immediately, but loudspeakers had been set up along only 11
locations along the demilitarized zone by Wednesday, mostly
concealed. And it is still unclear when the actual broadcasts will start
or whether they will resume at all, apparently for fear of skirmishes
after the North threatened to shoot down the loudspeakers if they do.
http://english.chosun.com/svc/news/printContent.html
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