[Gangnam Perspective] The 'parallel theory' of nuclear issues in Iran and North Korea

As the Iran war rages on, pressure from the United States is intensifying on Korea to join military operations in the Middle East after one Korean vessel stranded in the Strait of Hormuz was caught up in an explosion. The United States is urging Korea to take part in military operations in the Strait of Hormuz, with not only the president but also the defense secretary singling out the country.
The Blue House said it would carefully review Donald Trump's request. Still, the Lee Jae Myung administration, which has tried to keep its distance to avoid being drawn into the Middle East war, now faces growing concerns. The burden is especially heavy as major U.S. allies such as Europe and Japan remain reluctant to get involved, leaving Korea in the awkward position of moving first.
If Korea joins the military operation, it could end up in the worst-case scenario of being unable to pull out. If Iran comes to see Korea as an enemy along with the United States and Israel, even our vessels stranded in the Strait of Hormuz could be put at risk.
At the same time, Korea cannot simply ignore Washington's demands. Trump has begun sending direct bills to allies that have not cooperated with the United States. He has ordered the withdrawal of 5,000 United States Forces in Germany troops and signaled a 25% tariff hike on European cars, showing what many see as a vindictive streak. He could just as easily reverse his approval of Korea's nuclear-powered submarine project and the tariff deal he promised. The Lee Jae Myung administration should look for other ways to placate Trump.
What if Korea stepped in as a diplomatic mediator between the United States and Iran? Separate from the mediation talks held in Pakistan, an unofficial nuclear state and an Islamic country, Korea could try to broker negotiations on the peaceful use of nuclear energy.
Korea has long experience mediating North Korea nuclear negotiations with the United States, and it has gone through countless trial-and-error efforts. Korea may be the country that best understands Trump's true intentions on denuclearization. Our government has the painful experience of failing to stop North Korea from obtaining nuclear weapons, but it has also accumulated practical experience from mediating between the United States and North Korea during Trump's first presidency.
The nuclear issues facing Iran and North Korea are strikingly similar, almost like a parallel theory. Both North Korea, with its cult of personality, and Iran, with its deified leadership, want security guarantees for their regimes from the United States. And both have not given up their nuclear ambitions as a form of insurance. Israel has even said that it learned about Iran's nuclear issue from North Korea's path to nuclear arms. It appears Israel used the North Korea case to persuade Trump that Iran must be prevented from going nuclear.
During Trump's first presidency, the North Korea nuclear negotiations were held in different countries. The first U.S.-North Korea summit in 2018 took place in Singapore, the second in 2019 was held in Hanoi, Vietnam, and Panmunjom was mainly used as a venue for inter-Korean and U.S.-Korea contact and coordination.
As the North Korea nuclear negotiations showed, the Iran nuclear talks will not be easy to conclude in just a few months. Even if a ceasefire agreement is reached soon, additional follow-up agreements on Iran's peaceful use of nuclear energy would still be needed. The Iran nuclear issue could continue throughout Trump's second administration.
Iran is not hostile to Korea. Korea recently provided humanitarian aid to Iran. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran, who took part in nuclear talks with the United States, even called Korea first to share views on the situation in the Middle East. Older Iranians know that there is a Teheran-ro in Seoul. They also know well that Korean workers once served in Iran as industrial workers during the Middle East boom. In that sense, the long-standing ties between Iran and Korea should not be dismissed. If peaceful nuclear-use talks between Iran and the United States were held on Teheran-ro in Seoul, it would send a strong message to North Korea as well. It would also be an appealing card for the United States, which wants to settle not only the Iran issue but also the North Korea nuclear issue. Some may dismiss this as a futile fantasy that overestimates Korea's diplomatic capabilities. But in the face of the delusion of nuclear weapons, it may not be a bad idea to try every diplomatic option, even if it means grasping at straws.
rainman@fnnews.com Reporter