U.S. Republicans Fear Seoul Could Ally With Pyongyang

A report by the U.S. Senate Republican Policy Committee says a nuclear test by North Korea could be followed by the two Koreas forming a confederation and demanding that U.S. troops leave the Korean Peninsula. In the report entitled, "Anticipating a North Korean Nuclear Test: What’s to Be Done to Avert a Further Crisis," the Republican Party envisages two possible scenarios for South Korea in the unlikely event of a North Korean nuclear test. In the first, Seoul will join intense diplomacy with involved nations and could deploy its army to block a North Korean attack. In that scenario, it would also buy Aegis warships and other defense weapons from the U.S. But in a second scenario, South Korea would judge it safer to form a kind of alliance with Pyongyang. "The South Korean populace, afraid of possible all-out war that could include nuclear attacks, may well opt for the confederation option,” the report said. In that event, Seoul would end up asking U.S. forces to leave Korea. A link to the report can be found on the front page of the U.S. Senate Republican Policy Committee homepage (rpc.senate.gov) . Grand National Party (GNP) lawmaker and Yeouido Institute head Yun Kun-young passed out copies of the report within the GNP today. "By mentioning the possibility of a North-South confederation in the event of a North Korean nuclear test, [the Republican Party] reveals an extremely high level of mistrust in the South Korean government,” Yun said. “Despite the situation, our government has only shown interest in convening ministerial-level talks since giving the North 200,000 tons of fertilizer."