Plutonium Diplomacy

Seems like North Korea successfully (or partially successfully, depending on who you listen to) tested a nuclear weapon and at the same time became part of an exclusive club of nuclear powers. The Korea National News Agency stated:

The nuclear test is a historic event that brought happiness to the our military and people,” KCNA said.

What is interesting is that there has yet to be an extended public statement from either Japan or, more interestingly, China. Over the past week or so, China has been trotting out some uncharacteristically strong language towards its northern neighbour. When the DPRK announced the testing, they had this to say:

“No one is going to protect” North Korea if it goes ahead with “bad behavior,” Wang Guangya said amid the heated diplomacy this past week over a statement criticizing Pyongyang. “I think if North Koreans do have the nuclear test, I think that they have to realize that they will face serious consequences.”

So now it’s actually happened, it remains to be seen exactly what China will do and how aggressively they pursue a change in policy, if at all.

Also of interest is how the new Japanese PM, Shinzo Abe, deals with this. Historically, Abe has been very interested in pushing an agenda of rebuilding Japan’s military and this would seem to give him a pretty solid base to work with.

Update: Abe and South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun were at a summit Monday and just issued a statement saying: “A North Korea with nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles constitutes a grave threat, Japan will now consider harsh measures.”

What about the US? Via Daily KOS comes this snip from the Oct 16. issue of Newsweek:

On Sept. 19, 2005, North Korea signed a widely heralded denuclearization agreement with the United States, China, Russia, Japan and South Korea. Pyongyang pledged to “abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs.” In return, Washington agreed that the United States and North Korea would “respect each other’s sovereignty, exist peacefully together and take steps to normalize their relations.”

Four days later, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sweeping financial sanctions against North Korea designed to cut off the country’s access to the international banking system, branding it a “criminal state” guilty of counterfeiting, money laundering and trafficking in weapons of mass destruction.

Something tells me that tonight is going to be a long one for the diplomats.

Posted in Korea on Monday October 9, 2006.