While in Australia, South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun said that other countries – meaning the U.S. – should follow South Korea’s lead in dealing with North Korea:

“Korea knows the North Koreans the best. We are experts in fact in dealing with them,” Roh said through an interpreter at a state luncheon in Australia’s parliament.

“I think the international community would do well to heed the views of my government and the expertise of my government in dealing with this issue.”

It’s difficult not to post one of the many crass comments that come to mind after reading such ludicrous statements, but I’ll try.

If South Korea is so expert, why are they still trying to implement the ridiculous “Sunshine Policy”? But first some more of Roh’s quote:

“My government’s position is it is wise to restrain from actions that could cause a physical armed confrontation between the two Koreas,” Roh earlier told reporters after talks with Australian Prime Minister John Howard.

“For peace in the region, we are making appropriate and strategic decisions.”

Not giving North Korea unmonitored food aid and cash through Kaesong and Kumgansan wouldn’t cause armed conflict. Neither would not doing everything possible to discourage North Korean refugees in China and Russia from attempting to defect to South Korea. But the reality is that South Korea has gone far beyond not wanting to somehow provoke North Korea into armed conflict into outright and blatant appeasement.

If North Korea truly wanted a deal, why did they start a secret uranium program, leave the NPT, and kill the process started in September 2005?

Why don’t the “experts” recognize that North Korea is not interested in dealing with them and never has been? A few family reunions and a June 2000 summit that cost half a billion dollars does not tend to make South Korean “experts” seem all that shrewd.

Some might argue that the 9 October nuclear test does not make the Bush administration look great either, and I agree that progress has been far from stellar, but the difference is that the Americans at least recognizes that appeasement will accomplish nothing. I would also point out that the 1994 Agreed Framework was no success itself; a good deal at the time that was not enforced with the Clinton administration had news of Pakistani involvement in the 1997-1998.

There’s also the issue to trying to form a deal with North Korea when it, in reality, is not willing to follow through.

The point? That no deal without certain and very unpalatable consequences will bring North Korea to accept of keep any deal, and South Korea’s brand of appeasement certainly will do nothing but give North Korea more time to lick its wounds.

Roh’s “strategic decisions” also required what amounted to an apology to the international community for North Korea after the July missile tests, and a mere slap no the wrist for a nuclear test!

In fact I would estimate that Roh’s approach to North Korea has been the single largest disaster for both U.S.-Korea relations since Carter’s drive to withdrawal USFK, as well as being a disaster for millions of average North Koreans.