By This is a pretty strong stand being taken by the South Korean government in response to the suspected North Korean missile test:
Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan says South Korea will fully join the U.S.-led Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) if North Korea launches a missile.
The minister said the launch of a missile by the North is a blatant promotion of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, which the PSI program aims to prevent.
North Korea officially announced that it is planning to launch a satellite between April fourth and eighth as part of the peaceful development of its space program. Some are speculating that the launch is a guise for a ballistic missile launch.
Started in 2003, the initiative — which targets North Korea, Iran and Syria — allows for the search of ships suspected of carrying banned weapons in international waters.
Korea has subscribed to five of the eight PSI initiatives as an observer since 2005. [KBS Global]
This is pretty significant because this would mean that South Korea would be willing to detain and inspect North Korean ships. If South Korea was to begin inspecting North Korean ships expect tensions to increase dramatically on the peninsula with North Korea doing something quite provacative in response.
That is why I wonder if this statement from the South Korean government could just be an empty threat? I guess we will find out in the coming weeks.
It is the sad reality. No mistake...
3:10 am on March 21st, 2009 1
Huh. That is a big, smart move. Of course, they will have to show follow through with it if the North does test a missile. But this is the kind of step that does seek to establish some kind of quid pro quo in the diplomacy – rather than the more normal all-carrot or all-stick: South Korea has shown deference to the North's "concerns" since 1998 and staying out of the PSI was one part of this. If they then join it after a missile test, they will finally be showing the North that they just can't keep slapping its neighbors in the face with no consequences.
3:40 pm on March 21st, 2009 2
it's a heated issue for sure; not only the US but all of Asia is determinedly against N. Korea going nuclear
3:18 am on March 27th, 2009 3
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11:43 am on May 27th, 2009 4
Im from the us my friend Jung who lives in Korea sent me an e-mail about Korea's ,president Roh Moo-hyun passing away;(im deeply sorry)and how north Korea will be joining up with the U.S led PSI like it tells above. She also said how the relationship is going to be bad.
So RIP MR.Roh Moo-hyun 