Talks for Peace Deal

After months of a tense standoff, North Korea and the United States will likely sit down for face-to-face dialogue soon - in the company of four neighbors. Diplomats of the concerned nations, including South Korea, Japan, China and Russia, will fine-tune their positions in the weeks ahead for the multi-way conversation to resolve the security threats derived from Pyongyang`s nuclear ambition, the venue and date for which remain undecided.

This is no doubt a welcome turnaround, particularly in view of the mounting concerns about a nuclear disaster on the peninsula and possibly in the region. Surely, past experience should guard all the parties involved from premature optimism. The six-way dialogue, if it ever materializes, will probably turn out to be a long, arduous process. At this vulnerable time, however, few doubt that talking should be the only way to keep the peninsula from being driven into a security nightmare.

But the talks could fail anytime if the two adversaries do not shift from their intransigent positions - the Bush administration demanding North Korea immediately dismantle its nuclear program, and Kim Jong-il asking for security guarantees from Washington before he gives up his nuclear arms program. At present, it is crucial that the North Korean leader realize that this would be his very last chance to engage in dialogue in such an obviously favorable environment.

North Korea must expect China and Russia to strengthen its position vis-a-vis the tripartite group of South Korea, the United States and Japan. No wonder that Beijing worked hard to broker a multilateral dialogue after its three-way talks with Pyongyang and Washington failed in April. But the North could still feel the changing pulse in its alliance with China under its new-generation leader Hu Jintao. So, it may expect more durable support from Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The ultimate reality, though, is that Kim Jong-il only has himself to depend on. The upcoming talks will be his last chance to obtain Washington`s assurance not to attack, though short of a treaty, and the large-scale economic aid from the international community that he direly needs to sustain his impoverished country. This would be possible only when the North comes to the conference table with a clear understanding that the global community, with the United States as the single reigning superpower, will never tolerate its atomic bombs.

It is now imperative that the North Koreans do not provide further excuses for hard-liners in the Bush administration to increase pressure that might eventually lead to a military strike. President Bush and his policy advisors, for their part, should budge a little and consider offering inducements for a negotiated deal. This time round, Bush may try to demonstrate statesmanship by engaging in real negotiation, without fear of rewarding a rogue state for its bad behavior.

By striking a peace deal, President Bush will not only be able to redeem his reputation bruised from his military campaign in Iraq but also contribute to the grand cause of building a new peace regime in the last remaining flash point from the Cold War era. It would certainly be a monumental achievement for the U.S. leader, as the peninsula remains divided half a century after a cease-fire ended a tragic internecine conflict where hundreds of thousands of American soldiers fought for democracy and freedom.

For Koreans on both sides of the border, the six-party talks will be a painful reminder of the complex diplomatic games among the superpowers surrounding the peninsula. The Koreans may be heartened that they have attained broader channels for mutual exchanges and cooperation in recent years. They must build on the hard-won momentum for cross-border harmony to promote peace and reconciliation. The forthcoming nuclear talks will be a crucial test for national coordination.