Efforts needed to end Korea drama

South Korea and the US face a Catch-22 situation. How seriously should they take North Korea as the rogue nation raises the cry for a ‘sacred war'? Pyongyang and its officials have raised the cry to go nuclear.

North Korea envisages that the US and South Korea are pushing it militarily and politically against the wall. The announcement of recent sanctions against it followed by some high octane manoeuvres conducted by the South and US in naval war games is slowly and steadily raising the heat.

North Korea is nothing if not immune to indulging in threatrics. What is needed at the moment is fewer talks of death and destruction and more efforts to illustrate constructive and logical approaches to end the unwanted drama. The sinking of the South Korean warship Cheonan in March still rankles the South. These war games are designed to deter North Korea's impulsive military actions. The latter can ill afford a confrontation with its neighbour while its people reel from sanctions. China is vexed that the war games are being held so close to its borders and this adds another dimension to the overall problem. Such needless actions are designed to create instability in the region thereby raising the equity of the North Korean leadership.