President Lee Myung-bak convened a meeting of the National Security Council at Cheong Wa Dae Friday to review the punitive steps that the Seoul government would take against North Korea for destroying the Navy warship Cheonan and killing 46 sailors on March 26. Lee renewed his resolve to take stern and resolute measures to make North Korea admit its wrongdoing.

As reported, one option the Seoul government is set to pursue is taking the case to the United Nations Security Council. In seeking U.N. action against North Korea, China’s cooperation is essential because it is one of the five countries with veto power. However, China has shown an ambiguous attitude regarding the Cheonan incident from the beginning. If anything, it has been more supportive of North Korea, its long-time ally…
These indications suggest China could pose a serious obstacle to the Seoul’s move to refer the Cheonan case to the Security Council. Therefore it is necessary for the South Korean government to mobilize all means available to bring China in line. In the first place, Seoul needs to closely cooperate with Washington to win China over. Washington can use the Strategic and Economic Dialogue with China scheduled for next week to persuade it to join in the international condemnation of North Korea. President Lee will also seek Chinese cooperation at the Korea-China-Japan summit slated for May 29 on Jeju Island.
For our part, we’d like to ask China to reassess its relations with North Korea…
While China wants stability in Northeast Asia because it is a prerequisite for economic development, the Pyongyang regime has constantly caused instability in the region -- by testing nuclear weapons, firing missiles, and most recently, destroying the Cheonan corvette. China should realize that this is the North Korea regime’s mode of survival. The unstable and unpopular regime cannot survive without causing problems and heightening tension on the Korean Peninsula. Does this really serve China’s interests?