In regards to the sinking of the South Korean corvette Cheonan, the government has been moving fast to muster international support since it announced countermeasures against North Korea last month. Driven into a corner, North Korea is desperately pleading its innocence to the outside world. The National Defense Commission, the most powerful decision-making body in North Korea, held its first-ever press conference for the international media on May 28. During the press conference, senior military officers from the commission, including Maj. Gen. Park Rim-su, argued that North Korea had nothing to do with the sinking of the Cheonan naval vessel. The North accused the South of “fabricating” the case, leading to a serious crisis that may even trigger war. Pyongyang also refuted South Korea’s findings on the case bit by bit. Here’s Mr. Hong Hyun-ik from the Sejong Institute to explain more about the North’s argument.

The South Korean government says North Korea torpedoed the Cheonan with its salmon-class submarine. But the North insists that it has no salmon-class or shark-class submarine in its arsenal. That is, North Korea claims it only has larger submarines. The North also argues that it has never handed out an arms catalogue exporting torpedoes, but the South Korean government presented such a catalogue as evidence. So the North claims the South “fabricated” the catalogue and that it did not really exist. Also, South Korea cites the Korean letter indicating “number” on the torpedo’s propulsion shaft, saying the torpedo clearly belongs to North Korea if it wasn’t made by South Korea. But the North maintains that the style of numbering is not applied to weaponry and that word for “number” is used only for athletes, like soccer players or basketball players.

In addition, North Korea threw suspicion on the investigators’ refusal to reveal the gas turbine of the Cheonan, noting that a torpedo attack must have blasted the gas turbine to tatters. Two days later, on May 30, the government rebutted the North’s argument. Regarding the North’s assertion that it has no salmon-class submarine, the South said it had confirmed that the North exported such submarines to a particular Middle Eastern country a few years ago, although it may not use the term “salmon-class.” Seoul also said it had secured a North Korean arms catalogue and showed photographs of the damaged gas turbine. In the meantime, the South Korean government has been stepping up its efforts to enlist international cooperation to add more weight to sanctions against North Korea. Most experts agree that China holds the key to solving the diplomatic row. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, while visiting South Korea on May 28, said Beijing will sort out what is right and what is wrong with regards to the Cheonan incident and that in accordance with the result, China will not protect those responsible for the naval disaster. Judging from Wen’s comments, some speculate that there is a slight change in China’s attitude. But Mr. Hong says it’s too early to jump to that conclusion.

After a meeting with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said Beijing may express its position about the Cheonan incident after sorting right from wrong. It seems Wen left room for siding with South Korea if the Seoul government’s announcement on the findings of the investigation proves correct. In this respect, some are assuming that China’s previous position of supporting North Korea is shifting into neutrality. But China continued to maintain a cautious attitude during the trilateral summit between South Korea, China and Japan in Jeju Island last weekend, which came on the heels of the meeting between Lee Myung-bak and Wen Jiabao in Seoul. China said it was opposed to any actions that might hamper peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, stressing that the most urgent thing is to address security risks in the region. China continues to indirectly express its view that it won’t agree on any negative repercussions from the Cheonan disaster, whoever is behind it.

The South Korean government believes it was half-successful, as it at least elicited a change in China’s attitude during the latest three-nation summit. South Korea is believed to have secured a steppingstone toward closer cooperation with China in diplomacy and security. Leaders from China and Japan reiterated their views that they would value the result of the investigation about the Cheonan incident and the subsequent responses from the international community. Experts note the Chinese Premier’s remarks that China is a responsible state. This suggests that Beijing will not remain outside the international community. Mr. Hong, too, is paying attention to this part.

Japan and China said they valued the joint investigation by South Korea and an international probe team and responses from other countries. The Seoul government concluded that North Korea was the culprit behind the Cheonan sinking and international opinion is denouncing the North’s provocation. Indicating Japan and China “value” this situation, those comments are therefore interpreted as China’s indirect recognition of the South Korean government’s announcement on the result of the investigation. South Korea, China and Japan also agreed to follow the process toward denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula through six-party nuclear talks. In the wake of the naval ship sinking, the three Northeast Asian countries are expected to strengthen their trilateral cooperation with a goal of promoting peace and stability in the region and achieving a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula through the six-party talks.

South Korea is now committed to diversifying diplomatic activities aimed at bringing the Cheonan case to the U.N. Security Council. President Lee Myung-bak has met with U.S. Senator Jim Webb, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s Subcommittee on East Asia and Pacific Affairs, to ask for cooperation for additional measures to address the Cheonan incident. Mr. Webb had led the U.S. Senate’s adoption of a resolution on the sinking of the South Korean naval ship. Meanwhile, a team of Russian naval experts came to South Korea on Monday, May 31 to review the probe findings on the naval vessel sinking, while Second Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Chun Yung-woo is visiting the U.S. for a preliminary coordination of views about presenting the case to the U.N. among member nations with the U.N. Security Council. So then, what measures will the U.N. adopt in the future?

The government is hoping the U.N. Security Council will approve a fresh resolution calling for sanctions against North Korea. There are two types of resolutions- one is to impose sanctions on the North and the other is to denounce North Korea. But it’s uncertain whether China and Russia, both veto-wielding members of the Security Council, will actually vote for a resolution slapping sanctions on North Korea. If these two countries abstain, not going so far as to exercise their veto, it will be difficult for the international community to reach consensus. If the council fails to pass a resolution imposing sanctions, South Korea, as an alternative, may push for the adoption of a resolution denouncing North Korea and calling for a full implementation of existing sanctions on the North. If China and Russia still vote against it or stay away from the vote, Seoul may consider eliciting a lower-level presidential statement.

The international community is wondering what conclusion the U.N. Security Council will make in regards to the Cheonan incident. Here’s hoping the precarious inter-Korean relations will stabilize quickly.



[Interview] N.K. Defectors-Turned-Baristas Work at Coffee Shop ‘Bliss & Bless’
I tasted coffee for the first time here in South Korea. To be honest with you, I didn’t like it at first. It tasted bitter and sour. I didn’t understand why people drank coffee. It’s been about three months since I learned how to make coffee. It seems customers are pleased with my coffee. Now I understand why people enjoy coffee. This job is fun and attractive.

That was Kim Ji-hyang, who works as a barista at “Bliss & Bless,” a coffee shop located in Myungdong, downtown Seoul. At first, coffee was quite unfamiliar to this former North Korean defector and she would wonder why people enjoyed this bitter drink, more expensive than a meal. But now, she can even identify different coffee beans with their aroma. It looks like she’s very good at making hand-drip coffee. “Bliss & Bless” opened in March. It is a book café established by a social welfare group called “Merry Year Foundation” with the purpose of providing stable jobs for young North Korean defectors who have resettled in South Korea. The group accepted applications from North Korean newcomers and finally selected three people as would-be baristas. This organization and some local churches provided financial assistance to open the 132-square-meter coffee shop. Why did they choose baristas, among other jobs? Here’s Rev. Kim Il-hoe of Pureun Church, who is in charge of the book café.

This project is to help young defectors stand on their own two feet. Most defectors from North Korea work as daily laborers, and few hold professional jobs. I was wondering what would be a professional and promising job for the new settlers. Even South Korean people have to spend a lot of time and money to get barista training. There is little wonder North Korean expatriates cannot even conceive the idea of becoming a barista. We decided to train them as baristas because this job is increasingly popular with the younger generation and the promising job will be helpful for the young defectors to lead independent lives.

The North Korean employees studied techniques needed for becoming a barista and business strategies through a three-month training program and visited famous coffee shops in downtown Seoul to learn how customers are treated. It was most difficult for them to drink dozens of cups of coffee every day to become familiar with coffee, which they had never tasted before in North Korea. Rev. Kim says the baristas will be paid differently in accordance with their abilities and achievement. And if they do a good job, they will be given an opportunity to become managers of second and third branches of the coffee shop. “Bliss & Bless” isn’t an ordinary café simply selling coffee. Here, many more young newcomers from North Korea will hopefully work as professionals on a stable basis and nurture their dreams.