NORTH KOREA DENUCLEARISATION

To:     The Right Honourable South Korean President Hon. Moon Jae-in

From: Athinarayanan Sanjeevraja

Date: January 12, 2019

RE:     North Korea Denuclearisation

Suggestion:

Hon. President, let me start by paying my respects to you and through you to. I am ambivalent about the North Korea denuclearisation. North Korean President Hon. Kim Jong-un claimed North Korea already stopped producing nuclear weapons. He demolished nuclear test sites and nuclear laboratories are a good start. In response, US did nothing. The US needs to be responded with at least takes goodwill gesture to make negotiations forward. The US should lower their 30,000 military troops count in South Korea by few hundreds. I appreciate the US government has done suspended couple of military exercise which have since resumed but it is not enough. I would recommended that both the US and South Korea work together accordance with the desire of Koreans.

Hon. President, a key point is that rapprochement between South Korea and North Korea is making good progress but aspects of it are stalled due to sanctions. The US made it clear that it would oppose progress on economic cooperation unless North Korea’s concrete denuclearisation proceeded in parallel. Because of that both South Korea and North Korea are not able to advance to the next stage on the inter-Korean agenda namely the expansion of economic engagement. Your good government is offering all the assist to North Korea without violating the sanctions. If we want real peace in Korean Peninsula, we need to think outside the box. The real issue is stabilisation of relations on the Korean Peninsula and an official agreement ending Korean War. North Korea denuclearisation is possible but it must apply to the entire Korean Peninsula. That is removal of the US nuclear umbrella and most important it must be integrated into a peace process which must be the first substantive element on the agenda. But the US is so reluctant to negotiate a peace treaty because such a treaty would likely include the removal of nuclear weapons from the entire Korean Peninsula and territorial waters of Korea and provide for a radical reduction or complete removal of the US military forces from South Korea. This would be a grave blow to the US determination to preserve its military supremacy in the West Pacific and its efforts to contain China. I would recommend that both the US and South Korea work together accordance with the desire of the peoples of both South Korea and North Korea for peace and prosperity.

Hon. President, both South Korea and North Korea want the armistice replaced by peace treaty. We can probably do a better job of thinking strategically. Our stated goal should be a unified, democratic Korea with no foreign military troops and no nuclear weapons. I would recommended that the US and South Korea seek ways to integrate North Korea into the international community including cultural exchanges, sports exchanges, academic exchanges, trade mission and reduction in military exercises. These are the measures that actually lead to bring lasting peace to both South Korea and North Korea. I would highly recommend that South Korean government request the US to make an exception in the sanctions for joint South Korea and North Korea projects. That would help to improve the present atmosphere. North Korea nuclear arsenal poses significant hind ware to North Korea’s economic development. It is time to find out if we drive to improve the North Korea economy that will eventually lead to North Korea denuclearisation. Think Northern Ireland and Ireland both are divided but they shared essential values. Similarly, South Korea and North Korea are divided but they should be shared essential values.            

  

Hon. President, you have said to International media, “Hon. Trump and Hon. Kim Jong un need to move from abstract talk to concrete action”. That would be nice by making general statement but neither North Korea nor the US really has to commit anything that will make a difference. Both the US and North Korea are milking these talks but in reality nothing will change. The political solution is obvious to bring lasting peace to both South Korea and North Korea. Both South Koreans and North Koreans are care about their life’s, freedom, the future of their children and lives of prosperity. Lives of Koreans could improve if we could give peace a chance.

Thank you very much for your attention Hon. President.

Respectfully yours

Athinarayanan Sanjeevraja.