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Time for Seoul to go all-out in diplomacy against Kim Jong Un

Time for Seoul to go all-out in diplomacy against Kim Jong Un

Posted February. 20, 2017 07:07,   

Updated February. 20, 2017 07:15

한국어

The poisoning to death of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s half-brother Kim Jong Nam is found to have been committed by North Korean agents. In an interim briefing on their investigation of Kim Jong Nam’s death on Sunday, Malaysian police publicized the names of four North Korean suspects who departed from Malaysia on the day of his death, apart from Ri Jong Chol, a suspect and North Korean national who was arrested, saying that they are also looking for three others. On the cause of the death, the Malaysian police said, “It will be confirmed after toxicity test is completed.” Malaysian police have not specifically pointed finger at North Korea, but they have effectively indicated that Pyongyang is behind the assassination.

With Malaysian police’s announcement, it has been revealed why North Korea displayed absurd diplomatic behaviors even by taking irrational actions soon after the occurrence of the incident. Pyongyang has obstinately demanded Kuala Lumpur to hand over Kim Jong Nam’s body even though his bereaved family’s intention is the top priority, and stubbornly argued that it will meet with the arrested suspects. The North Korean ambassador to Malaysia abruptly appeared late at night at the hospital where Kim Jong Nam’s body is kept, and claimed "conspiracy theory" by citing the political scandal in South Korea. At last, the Malaysian government, which had been amicable to North Korea, warned by saying that whichever nationality one has, he or she should follow the Malaysian law as long as he is in Malaysia. The Malaysian police also made it clear that the bereaved family has the priority in receiving the body.

North Korea would completely deny its crimes by calling accusations as "plots against North Korea" even for crimes that Pyongyang were found to have committed undoubtedly in the past. The North mobilized two women from third countries and used chemicals containing poison that cannot be easily analyzed in the latest assassination apparently because it carefully orchestrated the crime to deny its involvement by disguising the murder as an accident. In order to preemptively block the North from using such tactic so typical of Pyongyang, thorough investigation should be conducted to get to the bottom of the case. For one, the Malaysian authority should closely analyze the content of the poison to clarify that the poison was sourced from North Korea, and should trace behaviors and detailed itineraries of the two women from Vietnam and Indonesia, whose acts in the crime are seen amateurish at best for killers.

The front page of major media outlets in Malaysia over the weekend carried large size images of Kim Jong Nam, who is lying unconscious and seen lifeless soon after his attack. The images demonstrated the grotesque reality of today’s North Korea, as well as the mercilessness of Kim Jong Un who does not even hesitate to kill his own brother. Kim Jong Nam’s murder will be topping the list of inhumane crimes and atrocities committed by Kim Jong Un, which will be referred to the International Criminal Court in the future. So far, the South Korean government has refrained from making public condemnation of North Korea for Kim Jong Nam’s assassination, and instead sought to have the crime naturally turn into a topic for international discussions. However, since it has now become clear that Pyongyang is behind the crime, it is time the South Korean government started efforts to establish a robust diplomatic front to punish the Kim Jong Un regime based on shared resentment against the crime in the international community.