I have come across another article, this one from The Korea Times, that describes Roh's opposition to the use of military force or imposition of sanctions against North Korea. According to the article, Roh stressed the following:
The current standoff over the North's nuclear weapons program should be resolved peacefully through the six-party dialogue. [...] The use of force lacks effectiveness as a negotiation tactic. I believe the United States, which has greatly contributed to the national economic development, will well understand this. [Also, any economic embargo] will only prolong the sense of instability and threat indefinitely.You can access the article here.
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This is an interesting topic that falls under some of the research I've been doing about former ROK President Kim Dae Jung's "Sunshine Policy" and the continuation of this positive engagement by President Roh. A lot of the controversy surrounding Roh's statements speaks to the number of domestic voices who disagree with this approach to dealing with the DPRK. Some say that Roh (and previously Kim) were too willing to be lenient toward North Korea because they risked angering Kim Jong Il and endangering the progress in inter-Korean relations.
As for me, I think that the ROK needs to walk the line between continuing to negotiate and offering a tough stance, because it's been pretty apparent that Kim Jong Il is willing and able to negotiations to his advantage to get economic relief without giving up very much.
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