SEOUL SET TO TURN DOWN US PLEA ON N KOREA
The South Korean government is set to announce today it will not expand its participation in the US-led proliferation security initiative (PSI) despite North Korea's nuclear test last month.
The decision, based on Seoul's fears that increased confrontation at sea could lead to military conflict, will disappoint Washington as it presses for a tough, united response to the North's test.
Members of the United Nations will report tomorrow how they plan to implement Resolution 1718, which calls for countries to stop cargo going to and from North Korea in order to check for weapons of mass destruction or related supplies; bans trade in heavy conventional weapons and luxury goods; and urges countries to freeze funds connected with North Korea's non-conventional arms programmes.
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As part of its deliberations on the resolution, Seoul has been considering whether to join the PSI, which it currently observes, under indirect pressure from the US. Both Condoleezza Rice, secretary of state, and Robert Joseph, undersecretary for arms control, are understood to have asked, in a roundabout way, for South Korea to sign up fully.
However, South Korea, which favours “kid gloves” treatment of its northern neighbour, is worried that its participation could antagonise Pyongyang and perhaps even lead to war.
“Taking aggressive steps will just make North Korea raise up its guard and that will make it even more difficult to reason with them,” a senior South Korean government official told the FT.
Yonhap news agency yesterday quoted government officials as saying the final decision not to join was made on Saturday when Han Myeong-sook, prime minister, met Song Min-soon, foreign minister-designate, and Kim Geun-tae, chairman of the ruling Uri party. “Even though there's still a process to report it to the president, there will be no significant change on this decision,” Yonhap quoted an official who attended the meeting as saying.
With South Korea sticking to its commercial and tourism engagement projects, through which it sends money directly to Pyongyang, the refusal to join PSI will doubtless dismay many in Washington.
韩国将拒绝参与检查朝鲜货船
韩国政府将于今日宣布，尽管朝鲜上个月进行了核试验，但韩国不会提高对美国主导的“防扩散安全倡议”(PSI)的参与度。
韩国之所以做出上述决定，主要是担心海上对抗的增加，可能导致军事冲突。在美国力促各方对朝鲜核试验作出严厉、团结的回应之际应对，韩国的这一决定将令美国失望。
联合国(UN)成员国将于明天就计划如何执行安理会第1718号决议进行汇报。该决议呼吁各国拦截来往于朝鲜的货船，检查其是否运载大规模杀伤性武器或相关物资；禁止各国与朝鲜进行重型常规武器和奢侈品贸易；敦促各国冻结与朝鲜非常规武器计划有关的资金。
韩国在研究该决议时，一直在考虑是否应在美国的间接压力之下加入“防扩散安全倡议”。韩国目前是该倡议的观察员国。据悉，美国国务卿康多莉扎?赖斯(Condoleezza Rice)和负责军控的副国务卿罗伯特?约瑟夫(Robert Joseph)均已婉转要求韩国全面参与该倡议。
不过，韩国倾向于对朝鲜采取“温柔”政策。它担心，加入该倡议可能会令平壤方面不满，甚至可能引发战争。
韩国一位政府高官向本报表示：“采取激烈对抗的措施，只会促使朝鲜提高紧张程度，使得劝说他们的工作难上加难。”
韩国联合通讯社(Yonhap)昨日援引韩国官员的话称，韩国总理韩明淑(Han Myeong-sook)周六会晤了获得提名担任外交通商部长官的宋
