Nick Eberstadt talks

The Marmot's Hole links to an interview in the Chosun Ilbo with Nick Eberstadt. You should read it because Mr. Eberstadt does not feel compelled to mince words about the political conditions on the Korean peninsula and it isn't just the North he's slicing and dicing:

Regarding comments issued by Korean President Roh Moo-hyun during his recent tour of Europe, to the effect that he would oppose any form of sanctions or pressure on the North, Eberstadt labeled such sentiments "a unilateral and pre-emptive attack on the United States... No matter what the U.S. government says officially, tension in the Korea-U.S. alliance is continuing to rise."

But wait, there's more:

"Seoul's North Korea policy is mistaken. The strangest thing is that the hopes and goals of the policy are completely disjointed. While 'hoping' for a peaceful resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue, it had claimed we mustn't use military or economic pressure as a means to denuclearize North Korea. If that is the case, what diplomatic means do you intend to use to attain your 'goal' of a denuclearized North Korea? Is there a reason that the North Korean regime, which has violated all its international agreements and pursued nuclear weapons development for the last 15 years, will now suddenly change its behavior and point of view? What's even more distressing is that the South Korean government is talking as if the North Koreans have real security reasons for possessing nuclear weapons. If the South Korean government believes this, while at the same time saying we mustn't use any pressure on North Korea, personally, I don't know how we'll make progress in getting North Korea to abandon its nuclear program."

He probably will not be inducted into President Roh's personal hall of fame.