I noticed some factual inaccuracies and had some commentary on the editorial article.

First, the DPRK withdrew from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in 2003, according to www.U.N.org, so they are not violating it. The article also states that “Russia also expresses fear with a border just over 100km away from DPRK.” Russia in fact shares a 19km border with the DPRK.

The following is mostly opinion based:

The DPRK was in fact isolationist before the Bush administration even came into office. In the 80s they were responsible for a bombing that killed members of the South Korean Government, bombed a South Korean airliner and kidnapped Japanese citizens.

The DPRK has continually harassed its neighbors, most recently by shelling an inhabited South Korean island.

They commit terrible human rights atrocities.

Given all this evil, one would think that we have to play tough with them.

All this doesn’t say that the economic route is a bad idea, but we’ve already tried it. The DPRK accepts thousands of tons of food every year from the United States.

It’s worth noting that their nuclear weapons program was being developed at a time when the DPRK was experiencing massive famine, and the U.S. was shipping them huge amounts of food.

According to this report to Congress, the United States gave $1 billion in foreign aid to North Korea between 1995 and 2005, 60 percent of which was food assistance, 40 percent of which was energy assistance. We have consistently offered aid in exchange for a halt of their nuclear program, and they have consistently said no. North Korean isolationist policy is a choice made by North Korea itself, not one that is imposed on it by other countries. They consistently alienate China, their primary ally, and threaten relations with South Korea, Japan and the United States. Six party talks stopped because they failed.

The fact is, North Korea does not cooperate, and while I’m usually in favor of talking to people, in this case, we have exhausted our options. Until they make some sort of promise of verifiable progress, there is really nothing that talks will achieve.

While I respect your position, I have to disagree

Thank you for your consideration.

Jesse O’Sullivan