US-India Nuclear Cooperation Prospects With The North Korean Nuclear Issue

The United-India nuclear agreement in2006not only has weakened thejustification of the international community’s Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT)but also has undermined the consistency of Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty. Thepurpose of the United States pursuing the nuclear cooperation policy with India was toprevent China from emerging and to maintain the order of global hegemony.These actions of the United States not only have caused numerous controversiesbut also have had a big influence on the solution of Iran and North Korea’s nuclearissues. The United States acceding to India’s nuclear weapons was a bad examplewhich has given North Korea a reason to continue to develop nuclear weapons and aconfidence that if they do not give up the nuclear weapons and hold onto them, theywill be rather recognized as a nuclear state. Currently, the United States is denying thepossibility that North Korea’s nuclear program can be recognized like India. Theproportions occupied by India and North Korea in the international community aredifferent, and each has a different strategic value. However, considering the attitudeshown by the United States and the United States Government officials making NorthKorea’s nuclear-related mentions after the North Korea nuclear crisis surfaced, it istrue that there is a possibility that the United States might change the policy towardsthe North Korea nuclear issue according to their strategic interests.If the United States’ policy toward the North Korea’s nuclear program ischanged, it is very much likely that the North Korea’s nuclear program will beaccepted in the same way as India’s or the denuclearization will be switched to thenon-proliferation. The future United States’ policy toward the North Korea’s nuclearprogram will be hugely affected and resulted in differently by the changing aspects ofUS-China relations and US-North Korea relations. If the United States acknowledgesor acquiesces in North Korea’s nuclear weapons in the same way as India, there areconcerns that the acceleration of international nuclear proliferation will take place andnuclear domino phenomenon might occur in East Asia.North Korea has been strengthening their nuclear capability through extractingplutonium from spent fuel rods, uranium enrichment, and three nuclear tests.Especially, North Korea’s third nuclear test means that the North Korean nuclear issuehas entered a new phase. Unlike the past when North Korea used to focus on showing off their unclear capability as a negotiating leverage with the United States, NorthKorea is now considering strengthening nuclear capability a top priority to stabilizetheir system. Such a fact is well written on the revision of the Constitution in April2012, which states that North Korea is a nuclear state. North Korea is claiming that itis not a country which has just developed nuclear weapons but a nuclear state withnuclear capabilities.The North Korean nuclear issue is not only a matter of DRPK-US but also anunstable problem of the Northeast Asian region including the Korean peninsula and aproblem which can shake the foundation of Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty. Now,the international community has been put in a situation that a new denuclearizationstrategy toward North Korea with nuclear weapons must be reestablished whether ornot they accept North Korea’s nuclear weapons. Even though the internationalcommunity including the United Nations has been imposing various sanctions againstNorth Korea for the past20years since the North Korean nuclear issue surfaced, thesesanctions has not been able to prevent North Korea from having nuclear weapons. It isbecause the clear goals and interests on the North Korean nuclear issue have not beenmatched among the relevant countries. Especially, the United States government’spolicy of ‘Strategic Patience’ by Obama paradoxically gives North Korea time tostrengthen their nuclear capabilities.Now, the relevant countries need to make it clear that the goal of action againstNorth Korea’s nuclear program must be ‘the denuclearization of North Korea’ andthere is no negotiation for it. Since pressure and sanctions not have blocked NorthKorea’s nuclear threat but have rather strengthened North Korea’s nuclear and missilecapabilities, it is the time that the principle of ‘resolving through conversation’ isnecessary. Rather than a policy of pressure and sanctions, the Republic of Korea’sactive role is required to help North Korea to come to a forum of conservation. Inaddition, strategies to solve the North Korean nuclear issue and improve the North-South Relations must be considered from the perspective of South Korea.Now that North Korea is technically a nuclear state,‘an internationalconsultative group’ must be organized around Korea, the United States, and Chinaand the comprehensive roadmap must be remade to solve the North Korean nuclearissue. The past method where the6-way talks used to take place through secretcontacts with the United States and North Korea must be broken, and the cooperationagainst North Korea must be strengthened with one voice through ‘an international consultative group.’ Since North Korea is clinging to nuclear weapons to maintaintheir system, the present waiting strategy cannot solve the North Korean nuclear issue.A creative and comprehensive approach toward North Korea must be urgentlyestablished by Korea, the United States, and China to lead North Korea back to theforum of conversation.