EDITORIAL — Saber-rattling

The seven missiles, including a long-range Taepodong-2 nuclear missile, fell harmlessly into the Sea of Japan, But the missile tests by North Korea prompted an emergency meeting at the United Nations and briefly pushed up world oil prices, already volatile from tensions in other parts of the globe. Oil prices settled down as it became clear that the international community was looking for a diplomatic solution to the problem that is Kim Jong-il, leader of one of the world’s most reclusive states.

Kim invoked national sovereignty in pushing ahead with the missile tests, telling the world, in so many words, that what North Korea does is none of the UN’s business. But of course it is, especially when the man at the controls of a missile arsenal is an irrational communist despot like Kim Jong-il. The Taepodong-2, said to be capable of reaching Alaska, was a dud this time. But one day Kim, who is trying to turn his country into a nuclear power while his people are dying of starvation, might get lucky and produce a working weapon of mass destruction — and use it, just to show the world that, yes, North Korea can.

How does the world deal with this threat? Kim cannot be nuked out of existence without risking horrendous collateral damage to his long-suffering people. After Iraq, the international community has lost its enthusiasm for ending a despotic regime and looking for weapons of mass destruction in a sovereign nation. But allowing Kim to flout international conventions on nuclear weapons without any sanctions will encourage him to proceed with his nuclear program. And ignoring this threat can embolden other rogue states to follow suit.

This is the world’s dilemma. It can ease sanctions and engage Pyongyang to persuade Kim to halt missile tests, but he could take this to mean a reward for his saber-rattling. On the other hand, Kim holds an entire people hostage, and they are the ones who suffer most from economic sanctions. Whatever the international community does, it can have a persuasive effect on Kim only if it acts as one.