Remarks by Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter at Korea University, Seoul, Korea, March 23, 2010
This is an excerpt. For full speech go to: http://www.cartercenter.org/news/editorials_speeches/jimmy-carter-speech-korea-university.html?printerFriendly=true
First of all -and difficult for South Korea and the United States - is the need for more direct negotiations with North Korea. The perpetuation of their regime is paramount in Pyongyang, and the leaders and people have suffered from economic sanctions and diplomatic exclusion for more than fifty years. With their ingrained "Su-che" philosophy, they are relatively immune to further deprivation from embargoes.
I don’t deny that some of this punishment has been merited, but it was obvious to me when i was in North Korea that there is deep resentment of the past and genuine fear of preemptive military attacks in the future. Experience indicates that it is unlikely that the North Koreans will back down unless the united states meets the basic demands that I received from president Kim Il Sung: direct talks with the united states leading to a simple framework of an agreement, with all promised actions being confirmed, step by step:
a) the United States gives a firm statement of "no hostile intent" and moves toward normal diplomatic relations if North Korea remains at peace with its neighbors and foregoes any nuclear weapons program, with compliance to be confirmed by unimpeded international inspections;
b) basic premises of the agreements of 1994 are to be honored, with Japan, South Korea, the United States, Russia, and China cooperating to provide a replacement for lost energy supplies, with modern nuclear plants and interim fuel oil supplies.
Along with political assurances and economic help for North Korea, the February 2007 agreement should be honored and denuclearization should be an important part of bilateral and multilateral talks.
No one can predict the final answers from Pyongyang, but there is no harm in making a major effort, including unrestrained direct talks. The initiative must be from America and South Korea.
The alternative is a continuation of the present path of estrangement, isolation, additional suffering of innocent North Korean private citizens, and ever-expanding conventional and nuclear arsenals, perhaps leading to a catastrophic war. This must avoided, by political courage and wise diplomacy.