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[2005/4/15] U.S. Must Abandon Its Preemptive Nuclear Attack Plan and Hostile Policy Against North Korea

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U.S. Must Abandon Its Preemptive Nuclear Attack Plan and Hostile Policy Against North Korea

- Statement of South Korean Civil Society Regarding the North Korean Declaration about the Manufacturing of Nuclear Weapons -


In connection with the North Korean declaration that it is manufacturing nuclear weapons, the United States is using NPT Review Conference as an occasion to urge strong actions against North Korea (DPRK). Not only that, the U.S. is also advocating revision of the NPT provision that guarantees the peaceful use of nuclear energy, alleging that the non-nuclear weapon States are trying to make nuclear weapons by taking advantage of the NPT provision.
However, it is the United States that has failed to implement the NPT. The U.S. has taken a leading role in undermining the international agreement by refusing to dismantle its own nuclear weapons, as it is required to do under the conditions of the NPT. It is also the U.S. that has been trying to use the NPT to exert its control over the nuclear weapons.
We would like to explain how Pyongyang came to announce that it possesses nuclear weapons and our response to this announcement. In our view, the main obstacle to nuclear non-proliferation and denuclearization of the Korean peninsula is the threat made against North Korea by the United States. America uses the NPT to put pressure on non-nuclear weapon States, even though it weakens the NPT by its unilateral and double-standard nuclear policy.

The Bush Administration Abandoned the 1994 Agreed Framework and Threatened North Korea with Nuclear Weapons by Adopting a Preemptive Nuclear Attack Plan.

In 1994, the United States and North Korea signed the Agreed Framework (also known as the Geneva Agreement). According to this agreement, the United States promised to build light-water reactors and provide heavy fuel oil to the North. In return, North Korea agreed to freeze its nuclear reactor program, and accepted the inspection of its nuclear facilities by the IAEA.

However, in his 2002 State of the Union Address, President Bush designated North Korea, along with Iraq and Iran, as part of the "axis of evil". Later that year, in the Nuclear Posture Review (NPR), he revealed his preemptive nuclear attack policy against North Korea, signaling a change in American nuclear policy from "deterrence" to "preemptive attack". In addition to delaying the construction of the light-water nuclear reactors, he violated the terms of the Geneva Agreement by stopping the delivery of the heavy fuel oil, and claimed without any evidence that North Korea had developed highly enriched uranium.
In response, North Korea lifted its freeze on its nuclear reactors, but declared that it was still willing to give up its nuclear weapon program if the United States would sign a non-aggression treaty.
However, the Bush administration refused to sign any such agreement and only offered verbal assurances that the U.S. would not attack North Korea. At the same time, the U.S. continued to threaten North Korea, demanding special inspections by the IAEA and calling on the UN Security Council to impose sanctions. In response, North Korea protested the U.S.-led international pressure by withdrawing from the NPT in 2003.

The Bush Administration is Putting Pressure on North Korea by Developing Nuclear Weapons to be used Against It and Staging Military Exercises in preparation for a Nuclear War.

Even in his second administration, Bush is continuing his open hostility to Pyongyang, defining the DPRK as an "outpost of tyranny" and calling for an "end to tyranny." Moreover, some Bush administration officials openly hinted that a preemptive military attack on North Korea would follow the invasion of Iraq.

In fact, the United States has prepared aggressive Operation Plans for the Korean peninsula under such code names as "OP 5026" that aims preemptive precision strikes at North Korean military sites and "OP 5027" that seeks to overthrow the Pyongyang government and occupy North Korea. Accordingly, the U.S. has been building up its military readiness for the invasion and occupation of North Korea by staging joint U.S.-S. Korean military exercises. 
Furthermore, the U.S. has been upgrading the military power of the U.S. Forces in South Korea by budgeting some billion for that purpose. It has already stationed the most modern U.S. attack weapons like Stealth fighter-bombers, Patriot missiles, destroyers with the Aegis system, etc. on the Korean peninsula, in Japan and the East Sea. In particular, the United States is developing nuclear "bunker busters" for the purpose of destroying the underground structures in North Korea. 

In addition, the U.S. is also pressuring North Korea in other ways such as pursuing "Ending Tyranny and Assisting Democracy Act", following the adoption of the "North Korean Human Rights Act" and Proliferation Security Initiative, etc.

North Korea found itself in a situation with neither the prospect of a change in America's the hostile policy, nor any serious efforts to improve its relations with the North. Thus, Pyongyang was forced to declare that it possesses nuclear weapons in self-defense as a deterrent against a threatened nuclear attack by the U.S. 

The U.S. Must Abandon Its Preemptive Nuclear Attack Plan Against North Korea and Sign a Peace Treaty.

Resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue must start with the U.S. abandonment of its preemptive nuclear attack plan and the hostile policy against North Korea. North Korea has stated publicly that it will give up its nuclear weapons program if the U.S. abandons its hostile policy. Therefore, the U.S. should strive to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue fully and establish a permanent peace structure, including denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, by abandoning its hostile policy toward North Korea and signing a peace treaty with Pyongyang.

Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is an Indispensable Goal for Peace on the Korean Peninsula.

We are opposed to any development and deployment of nuclear weapons on the Korean peninsula. Thus, we take note of the North Korean statement that "its ultimate goal to denuclearize the Korean peninsula remain unchanged." To achieve the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, it is necessary for the U.S. to abandon its preemptive nuclear attack plan against North Korea and affirm its intention not to use nuclear weapons or threaten their use under any circumstances, in accordance with the Geneva Agreement. This will be also in line with the international understanding given by the nuclear weapon States to provide negative security assurances (NSA) to non-nuclear weapon States, in a legal Protocol to the NPT. 

We urge the U.S. to abandon its hostile policy toward North Korea and bring about the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula by providing negative security assurances to North Korea against the use of nuclear weapons; and, in this connection, to withdraw all current nuclear weapons from the Korean peninsula, to pledge not to introduce nuclear weapons to the peninsula, and to suspend all military exercises preparatory for a nuclear war.

15, April 2005.

Solidarity for Peace and Reunification of Korea 
Korean Confederation of Trade Unions 
Korean People's Solidarity (including 35 national organizations, 9 regional organizations) 
Solidarity for Reunification of Korea (including 47 organizations) 
Green Korea United 
Citizens' Solidarity for Peace & Unification 
Catholic Priests' Association for Justice (CPAJ) in Korea
Korean Federation of Medical Groups for Health Rights (KFHR)
Solidarity for Workers' Health
Association of Physicians for Humanism
Korea Dentists Association for Healthy Society
Korean Pharmacists for Democratic Society
Young Doctors of Oriental Medicine for Ethical Medical Practice
Rhee Yueng-Huie (journalist)
Fr. Mun Jeong-Hyeon (leader, Peace Pilgrims) 
Fr. Mun Gyu-Hyeon (chairman, SPARK; chairman, CPAJ) 
Rev. Hong Keun-Soo (chairman, SPARK)
Dr. Hong Chang-Yee (SPARK)
Rev. Kim Min-Woong (journalist)
Prof. Kang Jeong-Koo (Dongguk University; chairman, SPARK Research Institute)
Prof. Lee Chul-Ki (Dongguk University) 
Prof. Lee Won-Sup (Kyonggi University) 
Lee Jae-Bong (Won Kwang University) 
Lee Su-Ho (trades union leader) 
Jung Kwang-Hoon (chairman, Korean People's Solidarity; farmer) 
Rev. Han Sang-Yeol (chairman, Solidarity for Reunification of Korea)
Prof. Lee Jang-Hee (Foreign Languages University; chairman, Citizens' Solidarity for Peace & Unification) 
Dr. Baek Do-Myoung (chairman, Solidarity for Workers' Health)
Dr. Kim Jeong-Bum (co-chairman, KFHR)
Choi In-Soon (pharmaceutical chemist; co-chairman, KFHR)
Chun Mun-Ho (pharmaceutical chemist; chairman, Korean Pharmacists for Democratic Society)
Dr. Jeon Sung-Won (chairman, Korea Dentists Association for Healthy Society)
Dr. Park Tae-Hun (chairman, Association of Physicians for Humanism)
Dr. Yang Kye-Hwan (chairman, Young Doctors of Oriental Medicine for Ethical Medical Practice)

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