Why America does not have a peace treaty with North Korea?

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Dr.Herald H. Sunoo raised an issue: "Why America does not have a peace treaty with North Korea?" and suggested that President Obama needs to negotiate peace with North Korea now, to secure greater long term peace and security for the U.S. and Asia, and to show the world he is truly deserving of his Nobel Peace Prize.-editor's note

Why America does not have a peace treaty with North Korea?

By: Harold Sunoo, Ph.D.

The Korean War stared in 1950 and ended in 1953. When North Korea forces advanced to South Korea, President Syngman Rhee appealed to President Truman for help. President Truman sent U.S. troops under the command of General Douglas MacArthur.

The American forces pushed the North Korean Army back to North Korean territory, and then continued to invade North Korean soil above the 38th parallel until they reached the Chinese border. At that point, China felt threatened and sent thousands of Chinese volunteer soldiers to reinforce the North Korean troops and together pushed the U.S. forces back down to the South Korean border- the 38th parallel. North Korea suffered from massive carpet bombing from the UN/US forces that made little distinction between military and civilian targets causing incalculable material damage and deep psychic wounds to the Korean population. According to U.S. estimates, approximately 20% of the North Korean population was killed due to these bombings in the 3 year period of 1950-1953. Subsequent estimates by other sources put that figure as high as 30%.

More napalm was dropped on North Korea than on North Vietnam during the entire Vietnam War. B-29 bombers incinerated scores of towns and villages, dumping great amounts of napalm on secondary targets when primary targets wer not available. Winston Churchill complained to Washington that napalm was never intended to be “splashed” over civilian populations.

On a single day, 550 tons of incendiary bombs were dropped on the city of Shimuiya (??). The capital of North Korea, Pyongyang, was hit by incendiary bombs with the objective of burning the city to the ground. At the end of the war, only two buildings remained. Estimates state that about 3 million people were killed or wounded.

At this point, an ever-aggressive General MacArthur proposed to President Truman for America to employ its nuclear weapon, and submitted a list of 26 North Korean targets, but the Joint Chiefs could not find a remaining North Korean target large enough for atomic incineration. President Truman, who had grown tired of General MacArthur’s arrogant and aggressive decisions, rejected MacArthur’s proposal, stripped him of his command and replaced him with General Matthew Ridgeway.

General Ridgeway approached China with an offer for truce to stop the war. China accepted the offer and the two countries signed an armistice agreement in July 1953.

But an armistice agreement is only a cease-fire agreement, and is not a peace treaty. It has now been more than 60 years since the signing of the armistice, but no peace treaty has been signed. Why?

Since the end of the Korean War, more than 60 years ago, more than 30,000 U.S. troops have continuously been stationed in South Korea. America houses over a thousand nuclear weapons in South Korea.

In response to the uncertainty of having only a cease-fire for 60 years, the threat of the large number of U.S. troops and the nuclear stockpiling in South Korea, North Korea felt the need to have nuclear weapons of their own as a counter-threat.

Dr. Lee Sung-Ki and other North Korean scientists were trained in nuclear physics in Moscow University. The program was underway at the site in Yong-byun. The U.S. observed the developments at Young-byun with growing apprehension.

On December 12, 1985, North Korea joined the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Under this pact, North Korea agreed not to manufacture nuclear weapons.

Meanwhile, the nuclear capable air and naval forces which began in 1976 continued to be deployed to South Korea. During the Carter administration, nuclear warheads were reduced from 800 to 250. But in following years, the Bush Administration put an end to the weapons removal.

Actually, the U.S. had never acted in accordance with the Armistice Agreement from the outset, violating item d of paragraph 13 which stipulated the end to shipment of weapons and shells from outside of Korea.

The DPRK, in an attempt to promote peace and security in Korea has consistently proposed a permanent Peace Treaty to replace the temporary Armistice Agreement on numerous occasions- 1994, 1996, 1998. They have also proposed to set up a joint military organization to implement the remaining paragraphs of the Armistice Agreement. The U.S., however, has rejected all of these proposals, and has pursued a consistent course of military provocation and sabre rattling in the eyes of the North Korean regime. Such threatening actions as the annual joint US/South Korean War Games that involve thousands of troops, aircraft carriers, destroyers, and aircraft practicing maneuvers to attack North Korea keep North Korea in a constant state of paranoia about the real intentions of the U.S. and its South Korean ally. Additional cause for North Korea’s alarm was President Bush’s calling North Korea one of the 3 “Axis of Evil” countries in his 2002 State of the Union address. The other two nations so named were Iraq and Iran, whom he subsequently attacked unilaterally against world opinion. No wonder, then, that North Korea are convinced that nuclear weapons are the only thing keeping them safe from U.S. attack.

After the Gulf War, Joint Chief of Staff chairman General Colin Powell commented: “I am running out of villains. I am down to Castro and Kim Il-sung”. Whatever he meant, it is clear that America needs “enemies” to maintain the war weapon production. The American economy is a war economy and depends on war to maintain its economy.

In early 1993, the International Atomic Energy accused North Korea of violating the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. North Korea agreed to inspections. Tension rose. The U.S. Command and the Pentagon responded with military preparation against North Korea by sending a battalion of U.S. Apache helicopters to South Korea as well as additional heavy tanks, and heavy combat gear loaded onto American ships.

On May 8, 1994, there was a conference in the Pentagon about how to help General Luck’s plan in Korea in event of a war.

The planners at the Pentagon informed President Clinton that if a war broke out they estimated that the potential costs would be $100 billion, and that the potential casualties would be 100,000 American soldiers and 500,000 Koreans.

At this point, President Clinton’s Administration was seriously considering a preemptive bombing of the nuclear research center in Young-byun, North Korea. This would mean war. This was being discussed openly, and the American public knew about this option.

At this time, I was actively working with a small pro-unification group American Committee on Korea. We were mainly church leaders, scholars and Americans of Korean ancestry seeking to influence U.S. and Korean policy for a peaceful reunification of Korea. We believed that the American bombing of Young-byun had to be stopped at all costs. Who could influence this pending catastrophe? We approached President Jimmy Carter. Carter, we believed, is a man of peace. He had expressed his belief that the U.S. was responsible for dividing Korea, and that American is responsible for uniting the divided nation. He accepted our plea to go to Pyongyang and we were able to endorse his trip with contacts we had established with North Korea through our unification network.

Carter talked to Clinton. Clinton rejected his proposal, but Carter insisted that he would go as a U.S. citizen, not a representative of the American government. Clinton had to agree.

As a first step, Carter went to South Korea and talked with President Kim Yong-san. President Kim allowed Carter to cross to North Korea right at the 38th border negotiation point. This was the very first time that anyone had crossed the 38th parallel since its creation in 1953. North Korea welcomed the Carter group.

President Carter met President Kim Il-sung and had a productive dialogue. Carter and Kim agreed that the Korean peninsula should be free of nuclear weapons from any source.

On his return, Carter gave CNN an interview to announce the results of his meeting with Kim Il-sung and to halt the rush towards armed conflict.

Carter also briefed President Clinton and other high officials in the White House. Carter informed Gallucci- the chief American negotiator with North Korea- that he and Kim had agreed to freeze the nuclear program in North Korea, and allow the IAEA inspectors to remain in Pyongyang.

Carter said that he believed the third round of U.S.-DPRK negotiations should be continued in the light of this breakthrough.

Gallucci reported this news to the Cabinet, and it was a bombshell in the Cabinet room.

After obtaining written confirmation from Pyongyang of its acceptance of the U.S. devised freeze on its nuclear program, Washington announced its intention to proceed to the third round of U.S.-DPRK negotiations to begin July 5, 1994 in Geneva.

On October 21, 1994, U.S.’ Gallucci and DPRK’s Kang Sok-gu signed the agreement which stated:

1. The U.S. would organize an international consortium to provide light-water reactors with a target date of 2003. In return, North Korea would freeze all activity on its nuclear reactors and permit them to be monitored by IAEA inspectors.

2. The U.S. would arrange to supply 500,000 tons of heavy oil annually before the LWRs came into operation

3. The US would provide formal assurances against the threat of use of nuclear weapons against North Korea

4. North Korea will reengage in North South Dialogues.

Kang said “…this is a very important milestone document of historical significance”

North Korea declared that this was a diplomatic victory since North Korea had dialogue with the U.S. – the super power in the world. The U.S. began to implement the agreements by geginning to build the light-water reactors in North Korea with American engineers. One of the senior engineers was Mr. Lim of Chicago who is a close friend of mine in the unification movement. The U.S. also began to supply heavy oil, as per the agreement.

The Clinton Administration sent Secretary of State Madeline Albright to Pyongyang with A personal letter from President Clinton assuring the conditions of the Geneva agreement. Everything was moving smoothly according to the agreement until President Bush was elected.

On January 29, 2002, President Bush totally reversed the Clinton policy by declaring North Korea one of the three “Axis of Evils” along with Iraq and Iran. He declared them enemies of the U.S. and unilaterally initiated war with Iraq- despite worldwide objections. It was not until 6 years later, on October 11, 2008, that U.S. State Department spokesman Sear McCormack announced that North Korea had been removed from the U.S. list of states that sponsor terrorism.

But with this pronouncement of an unexpected 180 degree change of U.S. policy in 2002, North Korea again felt threatened by the U.S. Seeing the U.S. unilaterally invade Iraq, North Korea began removing IAEA monitoring equipment from its nuclear facilities and in December, 2002, expelled the IAEA inspectors and shortly thereafter, withdrew from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty in January, 2003.

Bush’s 2002 “Axis of Evil” State of the Union address put a quick end to Clinton’s conciliatory Korea policy and ensured the budding relationship between America and North Korea broke to pieces, and on April 23, 2003, North Korea declared it had nuclear weapons.

Unfortunately, this hostile U.S. policy towards North Korea has only continued under the Obama Administration, and even gotten worse with Obama’s “Pivot towards the Pacific.

Pope Francis recently visited South Korea for five days. On his last day tens of thousands of Koreans gathered at the historical Myongdang Church for his farewell. The Pope’s last words of advice to the Korean people were for South Koreans to “…talk to the North Koreans. They are your brothers and sisters. Talk to them!”

President Obama has made a decision to normalize relations with Cuba. He said, “We made a mistake. We wasted 50 years. It’s about time that we normalize relations with Cuba”.

The United States has also been dealing with North Korea for more than 50 years. Why can’t President Obama deal with North Korea the way he is dealing with Cuba? This president received the Nobel Peace Prize. He can become a peace president if he normalizes relations with North Korea as well.

There is currently a good possibility for a peace treaty with North Korea. The present leader of North Korea, Kim Jeong-un said in his new year’s address, “We need peace in order to build a strong economy”.

Above all, North Korea’s position is that the signing of a peace treaty would provide the basis for the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula at a rapid tempo.

The U.N. countries who once fought against North Korea under the U.N. banner (the United Kingdom, Canada, France and the Philippines) have now all established diplomatic relations with North Korea.

The U.S. presently stands at eh cross-roads with North Korea. Whether to keep up hostile relations and continue the nuclear stand-off which could again lead to widespread destruction of life and property or to take the opportunity to bring peace to Asia by signing a peace treaty, remove hostilities and realize the denuclearization of Korea.

Donald Gregg, the U.S. Ambassador to South Korea from 1989-1993, who also served as head of the CIA and National Security Advisor to President George H.W. Bush, said “negotiating a lasting peace is the only sensible approach President Obama should employ the same sort of diplomacy towards North Korea as he did with Cuba.”

President Obama needs to negotiate peace with North Korea now, to secure greater long term peace and security for the U.S. and Asia, and to show the world he is truly deserving of his Nobel Peace Prize.