As current tensions and strained relationships among North Korea, South Korea and the United States have taken a recent step forward, ISU experts paused to reflect on the importance of the relations.

For economic and security reasons, the Republic of Korea is a very important country to the United States, said Kathy Hill, a panelist from the International Market Office of the Iowa Department of Economic Development.

South Korea is the seventh largest United States trading partner, with a large amount of exports coming from Iowa. She said Iowa is the second largest exporter in agriculture behind California, and some South Korean companies are currently working with ISU extension.

Discussion at a symposium on U.S.-Korea relations Wednesday in the Memorial Union focused on the importance of South Korea to both Iowa and the United States as a whole, and touched on recent developments in relations with North Korea.

On Sept. 19, after the fourth round of six-nation negotiations, the United States, South Korea, China, Japan, Russia and North Korea issued a joint statement expressing North Korea would dismantle its nuclear program in exchange for assistance with energy concerns.

C. Kenneth Quinones, a former U.S. state department diplomat to North Korea, spoke on the recent six-party talks that resulted in this agreement.

He said the joint statement is a necessary step toward peaceful resolution of the nuclear crisis in North Korea, because “diplomatic solutions require diplomatic dialogue.”

Richard Mansbach, professor of political science, warned, however, that people shouldn’t get ahead of themselves in interpreting what this means.

“Be relaxed. Be conservative,” he said while speaking on the subject in a panel discussion during the symposium.

Mansbach also said the American nuclear nonproliferation policy could actually aid proliferation of nuclear weapons.

“There is a paradox in American disarmament policy, which is the need for force, Iraq being an obvious example,” he said.

“That policy might actually encourage proliferation, because if you think you are in danger of an American attack, the nuclear weapon could be a good deterrent.”

Other solutions to improving relations were aired at the symposium, which included two panel discussions sponsored by the department of political science and the Korea Economic Institute, a nonprofit organization focused on economic relations between the United States and Korea.

Kwan Choi, professor of economics, said dialogue with North Korea would not solve the nuclear crisis – rather, engaging the North Koreans economically would be a more practical measure.

“The solution to the North Korean problem is to have them taste the sweet honey of capitalism,” Choi said while speaking on the economic and trade issues panel.

Quinones said engaging the North Koreans economically is complicated and difficult because of the Communist government in North Korea.

He said in the north there is profound darkness and in the south there is tremendous light.

Quinones explained that most of North Korea’s resources are diverted to its military economy, and the darkness in North Korea signifies a secretive and camouflage regime.

Choi, however, offered a way of engaging North Korea economically that would benefit the United States.

He mentioned that a bilateral free-trade agreement with South Korea could have a domino effect in the region, affecting North Korea, as well.

He said the Asian market is the most important market in the world, partly because of China’s emergence as a world economic power.

He predicted that by the year 2020, China could have a bigger economy than the United States, and South Korea is the best candidate for the United States to establish itself in the Asian market because of the similarities between the two countries.