Influencing Kim Jong-un: Can the global community have an impact?

North Koreas Young Leader Must Be Shown Suffering of His Own People (Chugoku Shimbun, Japan)

There has always been lingering discontent [in North Korea] over hereditary succession. As a result of the new regimes lost prestige, we shouldnt rule out the possibility of political disorder. The consequence of these repeated outrages is complete international isolation, which is pushing the people of North Korea, who are already on the brink, into full starvation. It is crucial that the new leader be made aware of this reality.

EDITORIAL

Translated By Violet Knight

April 14, 2012

Japan  Chugoku Shimbun  Original Article (Japanese)

During celebrations to mark the 100th birthday of Kim Il-sung, a family poses for a picture in front of portraits of Kim Il-sung and his rcently departed son, Kim Jong-il, in Pyongyang, April 17. KOREAN CENTRAL NEWS AGENCY [STATE-RUN]: North Korean regim unveils new statues of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il on Mansu Hill in Pyongyang, April 17, 00:02:28

What was meant as a celebratory shot to mark the commencement of the young supreme leaders regime has backfired. North Korea managed to launch what they referred to as a satellite but which we would call a long-range ballistic missile, which rather than entering orbit disintegrated shortly after launch

It is fortunate that the rocket debris landed nowhere near Japanese territory and that no damage was done. Nonetheless, it is an outrage that despite repeated requests from many countries to cancel the launch, North Korea went ahead with it anyway.

It is the view of the U.S. military that the missile was a Taepodong-2. Once again, North Koreas urgent ambition to possess nuclear missiles has been made clear. This was very disappointing, given signs that the nuclear issue was headed toward resolution.

The unexpected failure will of course be a blow to North Korea.

Speculation is that the move was intended to add some authority to the new regime and its leader Kim Jong-un, who was just named first secretary of the Korean Workers Party and first chairman of the National Defense Commission of North Korea. In the event, the decision was made to open the rocket launch center to foreign media, but it all ended in embarrassment. There is now a question mark hanging over the nations technological capability.

North Korea has long pursued an unfortunate policy of withholding inconvenient information. This time, however, Pyongyang readily admitted the failure to its people. Nowadays in a variety of ways, reporting from overseas makes its way into the country. Perhaps the government determined that it could not conceal the incident.

There has always been lingering discontent [in North Korea] over hereditary succession. As a result of the new regimes lost prestige, we shouldnt rule out the possibility of political disorder.

[Editors Note: According to the Daily North Korea, a newspaper in South Korea: A source from Pyongyang revealed today, There are rumors that the cause of the rocket failure is not technical, but because cadres who oppose the Kim Jong-Un system have deliberately tampered with the device. ... There is an ongoing investigation into whether opposition cadres intentionally scuttled the launch to discredit the regime. Because of this, purges are expected involving party leaders involved in the rocket launch. ... Rumors are spreading fast because, since the rocket failure has been admitted by authorities, there are no regulations outlawing discussing it.]

So how should we respond to a country that has once again ignored international opinion?

It is only natural that Japan, the United States and South Korea have criticized North Korea and are pushing for decisive action. Even if this was a satellite launch, it would still have been in glaring contravention of the 2009 U.N. Security Council resolution that, demands the DPRK not conduct any further nuclear tests or any launch using ballistic missile technology.

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The United States in particular has lost face after reaching an agreement in February to provide food aid in exchange for a temporary halt to uranium enrichment.

Japan is considering new sanctions, including tightening controls over remittances. China, which also opposed the launch, is urging countries to remain calm given that the event was a failure. Neighboring nations are not necessarily in agreement about how to deal with North Korea.

The first task at hand is to decide how best to prevent a nuclear test that is reportedly in the preparation stages. When the missile launch went ahead three years ago, the North followed suit with a nuclear test a month later. This time, in addition to the usual brinksmanship, there is the added incentive of regaining credibility that could lead the nation to forge ahead with such a test.

The consequence of these repeated outrages is complete international isolation, which is pushing the people of North Korea, who are already on the brink, into full starvation. It is crucial that the new leader be made aware of this reality. The international community must stand together to demand that North Korea abandon its plans, using a carrot and stick approach to maintain a dialogue.

In any case, the Japanese government response has been laughably slow.

It was 40 minutes after the launch took place and only after intelligence was received from a U.S. satellite that the facts surrounding the missile launch were released. During that time, news updates were being broadcast and the Self Defense Forces were busy behind the scenes.

SEE ALSO ON THIS:

The Kochi Shimbun, Japan: We Urge North Korea to Cancel its Rocket Launch

Mainichi Shimbun, Japan: Pyongyang Must Not Be Allowed to Mock World

Rodong Simnum, North Korea: Unimaginable Punishment if Satellite Intercepted

Korea Central News, North Korea: Obama Misperceives Peaceful Satellite Launch

China Daily, China: Obama Makes North Korean Rocket Launch More Likely

Mainichi Shimbun, Japan: Nuclear-Armed Japan is Not Out of the Question

The Hankyoreh, South Korea: Nuclear Summit Must Resist Nuclear Power Mafia

Yonhap, South Korea: Obama Warns North Launch will Bring Greater Isolation

News, Switzerland: Obama's Best Option for Koreas: Send Envoy to Pyongyang

News, Switzerland: Pyongyang Makes a Play for Direct Ties with Americans

Opera Mundi, Brazil: Can America Secure a North Korean Nuclear 'Reversal'?

Rodong Sinmun, North Korea: Imperialist Sanctions 'Should Be Smashed'

Moskovskiye Novosti, Russia: 'Russia's Place in a Changing World,' By Vladimir Putin

Rodong Sinmun, North Korea: 'U.S. Warmongers' Foolish to Hope to Change North

Jong-A Ilbo, S. Korea: Why the Kim Jong-un Regime is 'Doomed'

Jong-A Ilbo, S. Korea: U.S.,China Must Resist Urge to Meddle after Kim's Death

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Germany: Secret of America's Counterfeit 'Supernotes'

Korean Central, North Korea: The U.S. 'Should Be Cursed' By All Koreans

Korean Central, North Korea: 'Japanese Militarists' Prepare for Reinvasion of Korea

We must ask why the government failed to activate the nationwide J-Alert warning system. Although it ordered a mass mobilization of troops in Okinawa in what seemed an overblown response, it failed to put in any effort into keeping the public informed.

What happened to the lessons learned from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster? Rather than simply denouncing North Korea, Prime Minister Yoshiko Noda should reflect on that.

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