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Inspections in North Korea

It has just furthered the impression that the reclusive state’s new leadership is bothered about what the world thinks for it, and is trying to accommodate the public opinion at large for a pacific settlement of irritant issues. This spirit is an achievement, indeed, for the world community, and will go on to address the Stalinist state’s host of socio-economic and military-security concerns. This sense of interaction was missed as the late leader played to the gallery and resisted attempts for inspections — however academic those may be from the Western standards. The landmark deal that Pyongyang signed with Washington recently is in need of being harbingered, and made an instrument of public diplomacy in their bilateral relations.

The wave of optimism, however, is not without ifs and buts. The leadership’s obsession to test rocket-mounted missiles on the eve of centenary celebrations next month is a serious point of concern. If Pyongyang goes ahead, it would be a breach of understanding it had attained with the United States and could come to derail the spirit of reconciliation. But North Korea cannot be dictated in totality, as it has its own way of doing things. Parallelism has been its passion and that is evident from the way it has dealt with its godfather, China, in the region — very often embarrassing it with stunts and snubs when it comes to playing cool on world affairs. While the new leadership has exhibited a sense of protocol and understanding to regional and world concerns, this is the time for Pyongyang to make it clear that it wants to abide by international conventions. Thus missile shooting would tantamount to violating UN Security Council resolutions and unnecessarily pitch it in an odd decorum.

Kim Jong-un to this day has walked a cool and compassionate path. He hasn’t jumped the gun nor played to the gallery in making his position explicit on nuclear and armament issues. Kim can do a greater service to the nation by pulling it out of the abyss of poverty and hunger. It goes without saying that millions are starved in North Korea, and live a standard of life that is unbecoming of decency and safety standards. Moreover, the reign of official terror and censorship has furthered the ante. This has to change and give into an open society that is egalitarian and free from international intimidation. Kim has to watch out that the deal with the world body and Washington is realised without hiccups. The inspectors should return from Pyongyang on a positive note.