THE TRIPARTITE NUCLEAR-WEAPON-FREE ZONE IN NORTHEAST ASIA: A LONG-TERM OBJECTIVE OF THE SIX-PARTY TALKS
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Although the ongoing nuclear problem of North Korea is resolved either peacefully through the six-party talks or militarily following the example of Iraq, that does not settle the inherent nuclear problem harbored in Northeast Asia. Besides North Korea’s persistent nuclear weapon development activities, Japan’s stockpiling of excessive plutonium has been a major source of regional and international concerns. Some politicians’ pro-nuke advocacy has exacerbated such concerns. Facing North Korea’s nuclear ambitions, South Korea has been under constant suspicion that it might choose to counter the North with its own nuclear weapon program. In short, the nonnuclear commitments of South and North Korea and Japan have been tainted in varying degrees and thus failed to acquire full trust from the international society. A failure of providing their non-nuclear commitments with full legality has added weights to these suspicions. This article proposes the tripartite nuclear-weapon-free zone (TNWFZ) among North and South Korea and Japan as a practical measure to faithfully implement and solidify the non-nuclear commitments made by the three countries. The TNWFZ aims at creating a legally binding and multilaterally formed institutional mechanism where the three parties reconfirm their non-nuclear will, build mutual confidence, and create environments conducive to regional peace, stability and prosperity. It can further its contributions in this respect by gradually extending geographical areas and enlarging memberships of the nuclear-weapon-free zone. The TNWFZ can be an objective of the ongoing six-party talks as well. If the most urgent problem of North Korea’s nuclear development comes into settlement, the six parties could make use of the negotiating momentum to reach out to creating a broader nuclear-free region in Northeast Asia. The first step, as argued in this paper, would be a creation of the TNWFZ.
Abstract
Although the ongoing nuclear problem of North Korea is resolved either peacefully through the six-party talks or militarily following the example of Iraq, that does not settle the inherent nuclear problem harbored in Northeast Asia. Besides North Korea’s persistent nuclear weapon development activities, Japan’s stockpiling of excessive plutonium has been a major source of regional and international concerns. Some politicians’ pro-nuke advocacy has exacerbated such concerns. Facing North Korea’s nuclear ambitions, South Korea has been under constant suspicion that it might choose to counter the North with its own nuclear weapon program. In short, the nonnuclear commitments of South and North Korea and Japan have been tainted in varying degrees and thus failed to acquire full trust from the international society. A failure of providing their non-nuclear commitments with full legality has added weights to these suspicions. This article proposes the tripartite nuclear-weapon-free zone (TNWFZ) among North and South Korea and Japan as a practical measure to faithfully implement and solidify the non-nuclear commitments made by the three countries. The TNWFZ aims at creating a legally binding and multilaterally formed institutional mechanism where the three parties reconfirm their non-nuclear will, build mutual confidence, and create environments conducive to regional peace, stability and prosperity. It can further its contributions in this respect by gradually extending geographical areas and enlarging memberships of the nuclear-weapon-free zone. The TNWFZ can be an objective of the ongoing six-party talks as well. If the most urgent problem of North Korea’s nuclear development comes into settlement, the six parties could make use of the negotiating momentum to reach out to creating a broader nuclear-free region in Northeast Asia. The first step, as argued in this paper, would be a creation of the TNWFZ.