One triumph at the Winter Olympics that’s worth celebrating is South Korea’s success convincing the United States to engage in talks with North Korea.
This may only delay stronger sanctions but it could dial down the scary, macho rhetoric that’s put the region on edge. It’s always better to talk with adversaries rather than tweet about them.
Meanwhile, people viewing the games are seeing not only great athletes but also glimpses of people whose lives could be in grave danger if tensions with North Korea escalate into a second Korean War.
Even those tuning in just for sports might end up with a better understanding of South Korea, which would suffer greatly if the US ever used military force in an attempt to halt North Korea’s nuclear-weapons development.
The Olympic opening ceremony was held in Pyeongchang’s 35,000 seat stadium. At least that many Koreans could be obliterated if President Donald Trump follows through on past threats against North Korea’s Kim Jong-un.
Crackling tension between the mercurial leaders heightens the games’ drama, as does host country South Korea’s efforts to turn down the heat and avoid a conflagration.
North Korea poses a serious danger and rattles its sabres with recent nuclear and missile-launch tests. Despite Trump’s ominous rhetoric, the US must avoid military action. Start with talks, and be prepared to pursue stricter sanctions and improved statecraft.
The US must also come to terms with the fact that North Korea is now a nuclear power and consider finding ways to limit, rather than eliminate, that threat. Even if the threat could be eliminated with force, that may be a Pyrrhic victory.
War would create a distraction from the federal Russia probe. But it would also jeopardise both the Korean Peninsula and the US, which is piling on debt, struggling to defend its democracy against Russian meddling, estranging allies and unable to extricate itself from wars in the Middle East.
Attacking North Korea likely would provoke a counterattack by the rogue nation that has artillery aimed at Seoul, a metropolitan area with 25mn residents, and missiles that can reach the US.
That threat reduces options to slow or halt North Korea’s weapons development.
Sanctions haven’t worked yet, partly because of China’s uneven support. If talks aren’t fruitful, sanctions should be strengthened and given more time.
Despite Trump’s bluster, that may be the primary plan. Vice-President Mike Pence earlier this month said the US will soon announce “the toughest and most aggressive round of economic sanctions on North Korea ever.”
Then, after Pence met South Korean President Moon Jae-in at the Olympics, the US indicated it was open to preliminary talks with North Korea.
Talking is a start. But the US will probably still need to increase sanctions and pressure on other countries to enforce them.
Meanwhile, the Pyeongchang Olympics offer glimpses of what’s at stake.
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