North Korea determined to continue nuclear tests: Commentator

Press TV has conducted an interview with Michael Penn, a journalist and political commentator, about China saying sanctions alone cannot solve the North Korean nuclear issue as the UN and the US are pushing for fresh bans against Pyongyang following its recent nuclear test.

Here is a rough transcription of the interview:

Press TV: Before we look at China’s reaction over here it seems that the situation in the Korean Peninsula is escalating at very fast pace. Are you at all concerned that it could get worse before it gets better?

Penn: Well certainly. I think everybody has to be concerned about that. We now had two nuclear tests in this year and this year is only in September and there have also been rather frequent missile tests as well, shooting missiles into the seas around the Peninsula.

So yes, I think we definitely see that the diplomatic situation is not good and that North Korea seems to be determined at this point to continue to do these various weapons tests which alienate its neighbors.  

Press TV: Is there the potential of this spiral into a full-scale military conflict or armed conflict because South Korea has said that its forces are on full combat readiness? 

Penn: Well the potentials are always there. For example let’s say there is one of these tests, some weapon and accidentally the weapon actually does not go into the sea but hits land and hits Japan or hits South Korea.

So if there is some sort of a technical glitch or a mistake, then yes, you could definitely see a much harder situation come out but I do think that it is the intention of all sides – North Korea, South Korea and Japan – not to see it become a hot war because nobody benefits from that. 

Press TV: Well that brings us to the comments made by China’s foreign minister spokeswoman where she said that unilateral action alone will only lead to rather a dead end and says the crux of the issue lies with the US. Is that how you see it too?

Penn: Not really. I think that in this case the way I understand what the Chinese comments mean is that nothing is going to change after this nuclear test.

There is only one country that has any degree of leverage over North Korea’s policy and that is China and if China says we are not going along with any kind of new sanctions and we are not going to use any of our influence over North Korea, then what it means is that North Korea did a nuclear test and there will be no consequences and no serious response as possible. So that is the way I read it, is that the nuclear test happened and China is saying you cannot do anything about it.  

Press TV: But then when it comes to the way the US is dealing with North Korea by these sanctions etc. there are many who would say that it was only when North Korea was brought to the negotiating table that North Korea halted its nuclear program, so instead of these unilateral sanctions perhaps the US should work with China to start those six-party negotiations for example?

Penn: Well my feeling is probably the nuclear tests have as much to do with North Korean domestic policies as they do with the international situation. The regime wants to show its capabilities and its strength to its own population as well. So I think that a soft policy is probably not going to get what the US and the neighbors want and a hard policy is probably not going to get what they want. Frankly there is just not anybody who can really influence North Korea’s policies except maybe China but they have said they are not going to do it.  

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