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IN OUR TIMES SERIES

    As one of its projects, the OKSPN (Overseas Korean Senior Professionals Network) has launched
an essay project titled IN OUR TIMES. It represents unique Korean-American experience and
perspective shared by many members of OKSPN, most of whom have lived almost a half century
in America since their arrival here, starting from the end of the Korean War. As to "What and
Why" of OKSPN, they are explained in the SKAS homepage (www.skas.org) under the
heading of OKSPN.

Contributions from its members will be posted in this OKSPN Forum. We will follow a format
similar to book jackets - About the Author, Author's photo, and the essay. This is a project
in progress, an open-ended one. Any member of OKSPN, when their spirit moves them,
can contribute with a view toward enhancing the Korean-American experience and hence
provide insights gained from their experiences to all those who followed and will follow us
in the future.

IN OUR TIMES SERIES, PART 3

THE CURRENT NUCLEAR CRISIS IN KOREA:
KOREAN AMERICAN PERSPECTIVE

Moon J. Pak
Chairman
Korean-American League

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Moon J. Pak, Chairman of Steering Committee of the Korean -American League (KAL), is a
physician specialized in internal medicine, with a clinical appointment as Clinical Professor of Health
Sciences, Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan. His previous academic experience includes
professor at Oakland University from 1968 to 1982, during which time he was an Associate
Provost in charge of the Center for Health Sciences.

  Dr. Pak was chairman of Board of Directors of the Christian Association for Medical Mission
  (CAMM: http://www.camm.net/index3.html) from 1993 to 1995 and served as president from
1995 to 1997. While he was serving the CAMM, he led a number of medical mission trips to
  North Korea and helped establish the Third Peoples Hospital of Pyongyang, a 500-bed hospital
equipped with many modern western medical technology.

  Dr. Pak received the 1996 Global Korea Award (www.globalkorea.org) and in 1999
  he was awarded the U.S, Republican Senate Medal of Freedom.

Nuclear Security Crisis in the Korean Peninsula - Korean-American Perspective

Introduction

For Korean-Americans, crisis in the Korean peninsula causes a grave personal concern mainly because
  the majority of them are first generation immigrants with close family ties in the peninsula. Perhaps more
  importantly, because of their impassioned love of the country of Korea. Most Korean-Americans feel
that the crisis, including the current one, between the United States and North Korea stems from the
lack of understanding of the cultural difference between the two countries. Most Korean-Americans
also believe that the problems in the Korean peninsula is eminently solvable, because unlike problems
in many other parts of the world, in the Korean peninsula, there is no ethnic differences, religious
  rifts or clash between civilizational paradigms.

Therefore, from the vantage point of Korean-American, we offer the following objective analysis of the
current crisis and suggest some immediate and long term recommendations to achieve peace in the
  country of our origin.

The Current Crisis Development

  The Japanese premier Junichiro Koizumi's visit to Pyongyang this September resulted in a surprising
admission by the North Korea that they indeed committed the kidnaping of 13 Japanese citizens in
1970's, five of whom are still alive and residing in that country. In addition, Koizumi's urging to both
  North Korea and United States to begin engage in a meaningful dialogue resulted in a visit to
  Pyongyang by the US team led by a special envoy, assistant secretary of State, James A. Kelly, in
October 3-5, the first formal diplomatic contact between the Bush administration and North Korea.
Unfortunately however to those who have been ardently hoping for the improved relation between
  the two countries, the meeting actually had an effect of further complicating already strained relation
  between the two countries. North Korea criticized the Kelly et al's "high handed and arrogant"
approach and Kelly stated that the meeting entailed a useful exchange of each other's position, a
diplomatic expression indicating non-progress. On October 16, the White House announced that
during the Kelly's Pyongyang meeting, North Korea's counterpart, vice minister of their Foreign
Ministry, Kang, Sok Joo had admitted, to the astonishment of the Kelly et al, the presence of
uranium enrichment capability in his country.

  These seemingly unrelated revelations by the North Korea instantly, helped to portray the country
and its leader befitting the description of being the "evil" and plunged the Korean peninsula, once
again, into "nuclear crisis" as it was in 1993-94, when the DPRK threatened withdraw from the
NPT (Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty), when their possession of plutonium from the fuel
rods was made known.

Recommendations

Resolution of the current problem in the Korean peninsula by military action by any of the parties
  is unconscionable. Any attack on North Korea, including so-called surgical bombing of any facility,
even a pin point dimension will invite an immediate all-out, full force North Korean retaliation on
  not only the South Korea, but also Japan and assuredly the US forces stationed in Korea. This
  would completely devastate the South Korean economic infrastructure and result in millions of
  casualties. Benign neglect of North Korea is no longer an option, since it will lead her to nuclear
  route due to her perceived security concerns. Engagement, dialogue and negotiation among
all parties involved is the only viable option. Therefore, the Korean-American League offer
following set of recommendations:

1. Uphold and enforce the current 1994 Agreed Framework. If implemented faithfully by both
sides, it has all the elements needed for the satisfactory peaceful coexistence. US must
expedite the building of the two LWR .

2. Non-Aggression Pact should be signed between the US-South Korea and the North.
When a complete and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean peninsula has been
achieved as well as normalization of relations with the US and lifting of US sanctions as
part of the Agreement, nothing should stand in the way of the non-aggression pact, which
will alleviate the security concerns of North Korea.

3. Establish as soon as possible the US Liaison Office in Pyongyang.

4. Establish a Study Group composed of representatives of six countries, US, North Korea,
   South Korea, Japan, China and Russia. This group would study a long term plan for the
   Korean peninsula with goals toward reunification, disarmament, economic development
and an option for a permanent neutrality.