Nautilus Weekly May 24 - 28, 2010

CHINA WILL ACT IN ITS OWN INTERESTS WHEN DEALING WITH NORTH KOREA

Scott Bruce, Director of US Operations at the Nautilus Institute, told Channel News Asia, "China is extremely hesitant to use that influence in a coercive manner because it could induce the collapse of the North Korean state, which would have an even more destabilising effect on China's interests… To that end, it will stabilise the North to keep it from collapsing while seeking to work with the United States and South Korea on a limited response." 

China takes soft approach on N.Korea

ANNOUNCEMENT OF MEASURES AGAINST NORTH KOREA

The ROK Ministry of Unification released this statement explaining the measures that the ROK government will take in response to the sinking of the Cheonan. These measures include a ban on DPRK ships navigating ROK territorial waters, the suspension of trade with and humanitarian aid to the DPRK, a ban on new investment in the DPRK, and the prohibition of travel to the DPRK by ROK citizens.  

Read the report here.

Read a response to this article here.

TO CALM KOREAN WATERS

Leon V. Sigal, Director of the Northeast Asia Cooperative Security Project at the Social Science Research. Council, writes, “The only way to make the waters off Korea safer and stop further nuclear arming is to try negotiating in earnest - resuming six-party talks and starting a parallel peace process for Korea. North Korean acceptance of responsibility for sinking the Cheonan would be a suitable starting point.”

Read the article here.

DON’T SINK DIPLOMACY

Joel S. Wit, visiting scholar at the U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University and the founder of its Web site 38north.org, writes, “In the aftermath of the Cheonan sinking, the United States and South Korea must recognize that a return to dialogue would serve our interests. It is the only realistic way to rein in North Korea’s objectionable activities.”

Read the article here.

APSNET TOP STORY: SHAKE-UP CREATES NEW COURT FOR MILITARY

A new military court will hear cases against Defence Force personnel as part of a shake-up of Australia's federal court system.
 The restructure fills the legal gap created August 2009 when the High Court ruled the Australian Military Court was constitutionally invalid.

Read the report here.

NAPSNET TOP STORY: IN KOREA, A SEMI-HOPEFUL SIGN

Washington Post reported that about 45,000 DPR Koreans went to work as usual for 121 ROK companies in the Kaesong Industrial Complex on Wednesday. The DPRK allowed several hundred ROK managers and engineers to cross the border Wednesday and go to work. It did cut DPRK-ROK phone lines for some manufacturers. But one company official said that DPRK workers were allowed to work and that ROK managers were allowed to manage. "The situation at Kaesong at this moment is that nothing much has changed," said Song Ki-suk, former chairman of Korea Micro Filter.

Read the report here.