Why in news?
The tragic death of Otto Warmbier, the 22-year-old American student is a huge setback to hopes for dialling down tensions between Washington and Pyongyang.
What is the issue?
- The Korean crisis has worsened since President Donald Trump took office early this year.
- North Korea test-fired a number of missiles in defiance of international pressure, while the United States issued repeated warnings.
- Mr. Trump had put pressure on Beijing to rein Pyongyang in, and even praised it for its efforts.
- But the pressure does not seem to be working, with North Korea continuing with its nuclear missile programme.
- Warmbier was arrested in Pyongyang in January 2016 while visiting as part of a tour group and later sentenced to 15 years of hard labour for the “hostile act” of trying to steal a propaganda poster.
- Within a few days of his release he died.
What is USA response on the issue?
- The Trump administration has accused the North Korean regime for Warmbier’s death, but stopped short of calling for more sanctions or issuing new threats.
- This may be because three other Americans are still imprisoned in North Korea, and Washington’s priority for now is to secure their release.
- It is worthwhile for Washington to ask whether its hostile policy towards North Korea has produced any positive result.
- The sanctions-only approach has not helped change Pyongyang’s behaviour.
- In fact, the longstanding hostility and Washington’s repeated threats have turned the Kim dynastic regime so paranoid that it doesn’t spare even American tourists visiting North Korea.
- Attempts to put pressure on Pyongyang through Beijing have also failed — either because China is not completely on board or it is simply reluctant to use its leverage over North Korea.
- Using force or attempting a regime change, a strategy that has not worked for the U.S. elsewhere, will be far more dangerous in the Korean Peninsula given that the North is an unpredictable nuclear power.
- This situation leaves Mr. Trump with only one viable option: to take the lead in a new diplomatic offensive with both carrots and sticks.
- Officials from Washington and Pyongyang had already established low-level contact for the release of Warmbier and the other three Americans who are still in North Korean custody.
- Mr. Trump could use the crisis as an opportunity to expand the engagement, get the Americans freed and then gradually start discussing more complex issues.
Source: The Hindu
