Nuclear stalemate sparks debate over information campaign aimed at North Korea

Washington — 

As a atomic standoff betwixt the United States and North Korea continues with nary diplomatic off-ramp successful sight, immoderate experts successful Washington accidental an accusation run aimed astatine pressing North Korea should beryllium considered arsenic an alternate strategy, portion others caution against specified an approach.

The treatment comes arsenic the North escalates tensions portion the U.N. Security Council remains divided implicit however to respond to Pyongyang's expanding threats.

Kim Song, North Korea's U.N. ambassador, told the U.N. General Assembly connected Monday his state volition resolutely clasp onto its atomic weapons, saying "we volition ne'er bargain," careless of who gets elected arsenic the adjacent U.S. president successful November.

Last month, North Korea's authorities media outlets released photos showing person Kim Jong Un visiting what they claimed to beryllium a uranium enrichment facility, different determination against planetary calls to resume talks connected denuclearization. It was the archetypal clip it had disclosed a uranium enrichment installation publicly.

Nuclear standoff

Talks betwixt the U.S. and North Korea person been stalled since October 2019.

Moreover, Russia, 1 of 5 imperishable members of the U.N. Security Council with veto power, has blocked U.N. enactment against the North since February 2022, erstwhile it invaded Ukraine. Moscow has deepened subject ties with Pyongyang since it started the war.

Russia has imported dozens of ballistic missiles and much than 18,000 containers of munitions and munitions-related materiel from North Korea since its penetration of Ukraine, Robert Wood, lawman U.S. ambassador to the U.N., said astatine a U.N. Security Council meeting successful September.

Some experts suggest Washington see launching an accusation run against Pyongyang, abstracted from the enactment of Voice of America and Radio Free Asia, U.S. government-funded broadcasters. The 2 networks scope radical wrong North Korea done their Korean connection broadcasts.

David Maxwell, vice president of the Center for Asia Pacific Strategy, said Washington policymakers person agelong neglected an accusation run aimed astatine North Korea arsenic a viable strategy for pressing Pyongyang to alteration its provocative behavior.

"We truly haven't had an wide accusation strategy that cuts crossed everything that is happening," Maxwell told VOA Korean connected Tuesday successful an interview.

Maxwell, a erstwhile U.S. Special Forces colonel who served connected the Combined Forces Command of the U.S and South Korea, said accusation is simply a menace to Pyongyang and could perchance thrust the North Korean person to the negotiating table.

The U.S. should respond to each North Korean provocation by actively informing North Korean radical of their dire quality rights situations, Maxwell argued.

"If North Korea conducts a rocket test, the effect should not conscionable halt astatine condemning the act," helium said. "Kim's deliberate determination to prioritize atomic weapons and missiles is what is causing the suffering of the Korean radical successful the North. That should beryllium a regular connection that we should beryllium sending successful effect to each enactment by North Korea."

Targeted accusation campaign

Bruce Bennett, a elder defence expert astatine the Rand Corporation, said accusation could beryllium portion of the targeted efforts to enactment unit connected the Kim regime.

"We could archer Kim Jong Un, look, we cognize you're preparing to bash a seventh atomic limb test. If you bash that, we volition nonstop a cardinal USB drives into the Pyongyang country with K-Pop, K-dramas and messages to your elder leaders," helium told VOA Korean by telephone connected Tuesday.

Bennett stressed it is clip that the U.S. authorities renews its knowing that accusation tin beryllium a almighty tool.

"You spell backmost to World War II, we viewed accusation arsenic being precise powerful," helium said. "But we've mislaid show of that."

Bennett added that the U.S. authorities should mobilize its experts successful intelligence operations to enactment unneurotic an effectual run plan.

Some are cautious astir utilizing accusation tactics against North Korea.

Robert Rapson, who served arsenic chargé d'affaires and lawman main of ngo astatine the U.S. Embassy successful Seoul from 2018 to 2021, told VOA Korean connected Wednesday via email that an accusation run whitethorn complement sanctions and effectual diplomacy, but risks could follow.

"Turning the measurement and strength of the accusation run mode up, arsenic immoderate are present advocating, runs the wide hazard of escalating tensions crossed the demilitarized portion successful ways that endanger bid and stability, to see the chiseled anticipation of war," Rapson said. "The authorities would undoubtedly spot a precocious strength accusation run arsenic a large provocation of existential dimensions and would respond accordingly."

Rapson besides said important qualitative improvements are needed successful dissemination exertion arsenic good arsenic connection absorption and content, for an enhanced accusation run to person immoderate accidental of success, nevertheless semipermanent that mightiness be.

Potential risks

Joseph DeTrani, who served arsenic the peculiar envoy for six-party denuclearization talks with North Korea from 2003 to 2006, said implementing specified an attack would beryllium challenging but is "doable."

"The North Korean authorities fears exposing its radical to the world of the extracurricular satellite — the existent concern successful South Korea and different countries arsenic compared to the dire economical and wellness attraction concern successful North Korea," DeTrani told VOA Korean connected Wednesday via email. "Mindful of this, inserting truthful accusation into North Korea indispensable beryllium done with care, fixed the harsh attraction by the authorities to those who situation to perceive oregon work overseas broadcasts, videos, newspapers, etc."

Meanwhile, Maxwell said the extremity end of the accusation strategy should beryllium to empower the North Korean radical with information.

"Only done accusation tin the radical beryllium empowered to make conditions wherever caller emerging enactment tin travel to power," helium said. "So that, they alteration the absorption of North Korea and ultimately, their leaders."

The U.S. State Department has stressed the request for an effort to facilitate the travel of autarkic accusation into North Korea erstwhile asked whether the U.S. should see utilizing accusation arsenic a unit instrumentality against the North.

"An informed citizenry, with unfettered entree to information, is captious for responsive governance and contributes to determination peace, security, and prosperity," a State Department spokesperson said successful an emailed effect connected Thursday to a VOA Korean inquiry. "The United States volition proceed to coordinate with like-minded governments to cooperate connected areas specified arsenic entree to accusation and advancing accountability for those liable for quality rights violations and abuses successful the DPRK."

DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's authoritative name.