The instigator of this whole incident is Sony Pictures Entertainment. Its latest comedy “The Interview” not only lampoons a real country — North Korea — rather than an imaginary dictatorship, it also depicts the assassination of a real leader — Kim Jong-un — rather than some fictionalized character. To North Koreans, the film was the most horribly blasphemous one imaginable. North Korea could not comprehend Obama’s words about freedom of expression. Americans cannot understand North Korea’s cyber attack. This is a clash of civilizations.
For the time being, the atmosphere is such that no one can suggest that the United States and North Korea resume a dialogue. North Korea is trapped in a corner. Relations with China have turned decidedly chilly, while the North’s high expectations for Russia are being dashed by the plunge in the value of the ruble and the price of oil. The sanctions imposed by the United States and the EU are putting Russia’s feet to the fire.
After being provoked enough to consider reclassifying North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism, even the United States has decided to take a step back. There is likely a sense of not wanting to circumvent any chance of improving bilateral relations. Now that Obama has left the Caribbean, his diplomatic compass could point to Pyongyang. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, buoyed by his victory in the general elections, could board the bus for Pyongyang. Russian President Vladimir Putin has invited the leaders of North and South Korea to Moscow for a summit. Even if the cyber war has created a perilous atmosphere, the winds of change on the Korean peninsula have not died.
The North is turning its attention to the South. Chairman Kim Jong-un has taken the unusual step of sending personal letters to former First Lady Lee Hee-ho and Hyundai-Asan Chairwoman Hyun Jungeun. Seoul must proactively extend a hand to Pyongyang. The situation demands that we have the wisdom to strategically use North Korea’s crisis as an opportunity.
President Park Geun-hye must take advantage of the opportunity presented by the U.S.-North Korea cyber war. If she is not able to open the dike and improve North-South relations in the first half of the year, she is likely to find herself crashing into former President Lee Myung-bak’s failure train.
[December 26, 2014]
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