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Hagel: Korea may be on diplomatic track, Pyongyang still dangerous
By 윤민식Published : June 12, 2013 - 09:46
U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel said Tuesday that North Korea is dangerous and unpredictable despite signs that the two Koreas are moving back on a diplomatic track.
"We see this up-and-down diplomatic track, and then there will be something occur, and then there's a diplomatic track," he said at a hearing of the Defense Subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Hagel was referring to a nascent reconciliatory mood in Korea after years of sharp military tension.
South and North Korea initially agreed to their first high-level talks in six years this week but shelved the plan due to a dispute over the rank of top delegates.
The incident was a reminder of how deep mistrust between the two Koreas runs, but a positive side is that both sides agree on the need for dialogue.
Hagel voiced support for inter-Korean talks.
"There will be ongoing meetings," he said. "I think any of those dialogues and any of those venues are helpful, important."
But he pointed out the lack of credible information on what's happening in the North and who's making key decisions.
"North Korea's probably the most closed country in the world.
Our access to that country is essentially zero," he said. "North Korea remains still a dangerous and unpredictable country and we need to be prepared for that."
Since taking office three months ago, Hagel admitted, he has devoted a good deal of time to dealing with the North Korea issue.
Until recently, Pyongyang released strong military threats almost every day after launching a long-range rocket and conducting a nuclear test.
Hagel said China has been helpful.
"We have different issues, different agendas, different interests, but we also have many of the same interests that are parallel and intersect. North Korea is one," he said.
In a two-day meeting in California last week, the leaders of the U.S. and China -- Barack Obama and Xi Jinping -- agreed to work together to put pressure on North Korea to abandon its nuclear program.
Few would dispute that China has more influence on North Korea than any other country, given its food and economic assistance for its neighbor. How influential is in doubt, however, with North Korea having long maintained self-reliance as its ruling philosophy.
The Washington Post claimed nonetheless China should play a leading role in efforts to stop North Korea's nuclear drive.
"North Korea has been extremely erratic for years, zooming from confrontation to conciliation and back again, but a genuine effort by Beijing could prove a useful bulwark against further expansion of North Korea's nuclear ambitions," the Post said in an editorial. (Yonhap News)
"We see this up-and-down diplomatic track, and then there will be something occur, and then there's a diplomatic track," he said at a hearing of the Defense Subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Hagel was referring to a nascent reconciliatory mood in Korea after years of sharp military tension.
South and North Korea initially agreed to their first high-level talks in six years this week but shelved the plan due to a dispute over the rank of top delegates.
The incident was a reminder of how deep mistrust between the two Koreas runs, but a positive side is that both sides agree on the need for dialogue.
Hagel voiced support for inter-Korean talks.
"There will be ongoing meetings," he said. "I think any of those dialogues and any of those venues are helpful, important."
But he pointed out the lack of credible information on what's happening in the North and who's making key decisions.
"North Korea's probably the most closed country in the world.
Our access to that country is essentially zero," he said. "North Korea remains still a dangerous and unpredictable country and we need to be prepared for that."
Since taking office three months ago, Hagel admitted, he has devoted a good deal of time to dealing with the North Korea issue.
Until recently, Pyongyang released strong military threats almost every day after launching a long-range rocket and conducting a nuclear test.
Hagel said China has been helpful.
"We have different issues, different agendas, different interests, but we also have many of the same interests that are parallel and intersect. North Korea is one," he said.
In a two-day meeting in California last week, the leaders of the U.S. and China -- Barack Obama and Xi Jinping -- agreed to work together to put pressure on North Korea to abandon its nuclear program.
Few would dispute that China has more influence on North Korea than any other country, given its food and economic assistance for its neighbor. How influential is in doubt, however, with North Korea having long maintained self-reliance as its ruling philosophy.
The Washington Post claimed nonetheless China should play a leading role in efforts to stop North Korea's nuclear drive.
"North Korea has been extremely erratic for years, zooming from confrontation to conciliation and back again, but a genuine effort by Beijing could prove a useful bulwark against further expansion of North Korea's nuclear ambitions," the Post said in an editorial. (Yonhap News)
