North Korea’s nuclear threat has been slightly covered by U.S. invasion in Afghanistan and Iraq, but the issue is gaining momentum as the media focuses on the possible nuclear powered nation. Since being elected in office, President Bush has dismissed bilateral talks with North Korea, and instead pursued the six party talks involving Republic of Korea (South Korea), China, Japan, Russia, United States, and North Korea to negotiate North Korea’s nuclear weapons threat and bring peace to East Asia. North Korea continued to insist United States to open bilateral talks between the two nations, but President Bush continued to deny such diplomatic talks and told North Korea to abandon the nuclear weapons program to initial the two nations talk. North Korea, being insulted, demanded bilateral talks and showed no plans to discontinue their nuclear programs. The two nation’s quarrel over some small conflict of demands is stalling nuclear talks and is raising tensions in East Asia. Unfortunately, President Bush is the only hope for negotiations in the “allied world”.

Before President Bush came into office, President Clinton’s administration made many bilateral talks with North Korea. The threat of North Korea’s nuclear program was minimal, and negotiations between the United States and North Korea brought assurance to the East Asian region that their future will not head to a nuclear scarce by the totalitarian state. Now more determined then ever, President Bush has stagnated the nuclear peace talk process by giving North Korea an impractical condition to meet to bring back the exclusive bilateral negotiations. As the result, North Korea left the six party talks and isolated most of the diplomatic talks with the world. China seems to be the only country still in constant diplomatic contact with the nation.

If President Bush continues his unconventional diplomatic policies over North Korea, the whole nuclear talks will fall apart permanently, and North Korea will be able to develop its weapons without any diplomatic hold ups. President Bush still has a chance of reversing his policies in North Korea and reviving the nuclear talks again, but it seems his policies will stay for the rest of his Presidential term.

The consequence for the continuation of the stagnation of North Korea’s nuclear weapons talks is unimaginable. Due to the fear of a nuclear attack, East Asia’s investment will decrease, as business investors fear the instability of the region. The prospect of the Korean unification seems dim as North Korea continues to prepare to “defend” an attack by the “imperialist America”, while the Republic of Korea continues to boost their army for a possible attack from the North. And, although highly improbable, if North Korea does develop a nuclear weapon with rocket delivery system, there will be area wide panic in East Asian nations. Such probability of these situations exists as the nuclear weapon situation continues to escalate.

If some disastrous event occurs due to the stagnation of the nuclear talks, President Bush himself is to be blamed. He has the chance right now and can continue the nuclear talks with North Korea, or he can stand by his rigid diplomatic policy and wait for the inevitable to come.