N. Korea’s brinkmanship

China must do its utmost to discourage Pyongyang

North Korea looks set to launch a long-range rocket soon in defiance of widespread international condemnation. Reports have it that the Stalinist country has reportedly completed installing the rocket on a launch pad.

Pyongyang announced its plan to launch the rocket between Dec. 10 and 22 but some experts expect the launch to be made early next week, when the weather is forecast to be clear. While the North says it is trying to put a communication satellite into orbit, the international community sees it as a cover for a missile test.

As things stand now, it appears that North Korea won’t give up on the launch despite hectic international efforts. South Korea joined forces with the United States and Japan to condemn the move as a disguised ballistic missile test that violates United Nations resolutions. NATO also urged the North to call off the planned launch, warning that it would “risk exacerbating tensions in the region and further destabilizing the Korean Peninsula.’’

It’s not difficult to understand why North Korea is pressing ahead despite intensifying international pressure. Simply put, Kim Jong-un, who took power upon his father’s death a year ago, is anxious to show that the North is becoming a strong, prosperous country by making the launch successful. It’s quite disappointing to see North Korea back down from the wave of changes seen right after the new leader was inaugurated.

Considering the North’s decades of wayward behavior, China seems to be the only country that can put the brakes on its brinksmanship. The launch, if realized, could bring disastrous consequences because the rocket, with a maximum range of more than 10,000 kilometers, is allegedly capable of hitting the mainland U.S.

Against this backdrop, we still expect China, North Korea’s sole major ally and biggest trading partner, to play a key role in discouraging the reclusive country. This is all the more so, given that the world’s most populous country has taken off recently under new leader Xi Jinping.

Beijing has expressed concern about the launch but its sincerity is in doubt, taking into account its announcement that “North Korea has the right to the peaceful use of outer space but this right is limited by the relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions.’’

Beijing needs to do its utmost to dissuade Pyongyang from conducting the de facto long-range missile test, following an aborted launch in April, if it really wants peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.

The international community is joining forces to impose sanctions, including harsh financial punishment, on North Korea if it pushes ahead with the launch. Certifiably, this move will deal a fatal blow to the impoverished North.

What is needed is for Pyongyang to halt the launch right now and act decisively to establish a harmonious relationship with the United States where President Barack Obama is poised to begin his second term. This will be a short-cut to realizing improvements in the livelihoods of North Koreans. <The Korea Times>