THE INTERESTS OF NORTH KOREA TOWARD U.S-ROK ALLIANCE

Every states in this world have their own goals that want to be achieve. Mostly, all of the states shared the common goals which is to gain the self-preserve. Self-preserve or survival is the highest and most important for the states. After gaining the self-preserve. the states can pursue the other interest such as prosperity and prestige.

Background

For North Korea, their foreign policy is the way for them to achieve the national security and also the national interest. The main goals for North Korea is to save and keep their state as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. But then in 1990s there is a crisis that started to threatening their survival and it was occurred for two decades, in that time North Korea never changing their Juche and communist ideology and North Korea leaders never allow to applying the reform economy policies, while by apply the economy reform it will solve their problems.

The reason why North Korea leaders do not allowing economy reform is because it will be end of their regime. North Korea believed that the regime's survival is more important than the survival of North Korea state. Instead of the economy reform, the new leader of North Korea, Kim Jong Il applying the “Military First” or the isolationist policies to secure their regime's survival.

With those domestic policy, North Korea tried to seeks the attention from international community, especially the seek the attention from United States to get a guarantee security by testing their missile.

However, eventhough they are in not so good condition, North Korea has yet give up to become the master in unifying Korea Peninsula. North Korea still launches the aggressive military act to the South Korea. They also increasing the number of their special forces for terrorist guerrilla to against South Korea, but North Korea had never declare that using military option as mean to achieving the national unification. To North Korea, the full security can be achieve after the unification of Korean Peninsula.

North Korea and United States relationship : Search for survival

After the collapsed of Japan colonialist in Korea, North Korea was founded by the Soviet Union as the communist state and the North Korea's foreign policy depend on Soviet Union. North Korea just followed what Soviet Union orders. Then in the late 1980s when the international communism was collapsed and Soviet Union was declared the end of Cold War with United States and the Soviet Union breakup, North Korea struggling to find new way to survive.

The United Stated became the super power states after winning the Cold War, and for the socialist states like North Korea, they are in danger situation. However, President Bill Clinton had adopt the policy of engagement and enlargement, rather that the policy of eliminate the remain socialist. Clinton want to invite the socialist states as the member of the international community, North Korea saw it as a chance for them to make a better relations with United States. And for their security, North Korea developed its nuclear weapon.

Clinton was shocked knowing the fact that North Korea has a nuclear weapon. Later the Clinton administration was able to make a deal with North Korea of freezing the North Korea's nuclear weapon activities on October 21, 1994 in Geneva. Different with the Clinton administration who had a optimistic look to North Korea, the Republican in United States believed that soon North Korea will broke their promise. Then in the George W Bush administration or the rise of republican, the detente atmosphere between United State and North Korea were formed and their relations started to became worse.

The terrorist attack on September 11, 2001 in United States abruptly change the international system of the Post-Cold War era. The United State's perception toward North Korea slightly change. The North Korea's nuclear weapon has began to seen as nuclear terrorism for United States, only freezing the power of North Korea's nuclear is not enough. Under the Bush administration, U.S set a new standard for solving the North Korea's nuclear weapon matters. The United States requested that North Korea should completely, verifiably, irreversibly dismantle (CVID) its nuclear program and weapons.

After the inauguration of President Obama, unlike the expectation of the citizens in United States and South Korea, the relations between both of them to North Korea are worsening. The reason is because the confrontation of North Korea to U.S and South Korea. But later, the both countries tried to open a negotiation with North Korea if North Korea want show their sincerity.

Conclusion

North Korea has their own interest which is surviving their regime. In order to do that, North Korea apply the Military First ideology to deter the international community, especially United States for give North Korea the security guarantee. In the other hand, the existence of United States blocks the unification of South and North Korea.

References:

Harrison, Selig S. (2002). Korean Endgame: A strategy for Reunification and U.S Disengagement. Princeton : Princeton University Press.

Jung-Ho, Bae. (2009). The U.S - ROK alliance in the 21st Century. Korea : Korea Institute for National Unification.

Haylad, William G. (1999). Clinton's World: Remaking American Foreign Policy. New York: Praeger.

Also see: 

THE DYNAMICS OF U.S - ROK ALLIANCE  (BY IQBAL)

THE INVOLVEMENT OF THE U.S IN NORTH AND SOUTH KOREA RELATIONSHIP (BY HIKMA)

STRATEGIC PATIENCE OF U.S TOWARD NORTH KOREAN NUCLEAR DEVELOPMENT (BY LINDA)