OPLAN 5029: On Again?

The Joongang Ilbo reports that discussion OPLAN 5029 contingency plans is on again, but it could just as well be that it’s back to Square One:

No firm policy decisions were reached at the closed-door sessions, which took place May 10 to 12 at Yongsan Garrison, according to a participant in the meeting, who characterized it as essentially a brainstorming session. The meeting was titled the United Nations Command Special Operation Force Component Conference. The U.S.-led UN Command invited military officials and civilian experts from both the United States and South Korea to discuss operational plans for coping with any sudden changes in North Korea. The participant said talk largely centered on containing whatever nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and missiles the North has.

Last month, it was revealed that the Roh Moo-hyun administration had halted work on a joint U.S.-South Korean contingency plan, codenamed Operation 5029, for responding to a collapse of the regime in Pyongyang. The Roh administration raised concern that the plan could threaten South Korean sovereignty, since the United States would lead any joint military action. But Seoul later offered to resume the discussions.

I’m not sure a brainstorming session qualifies as writing or amending a detailed plan. Meanwhile, I consider this to be troubling:

Participants agreed that China, North Korea’s main ally in the region since the Korean War, should be allowed to participate in humanitarian missions, but should not be allowed to send military forces.

Certainly it is better for North Korea to accept Chinese help than more famine and plague as the cost of refusing it, but everything in China is subject to government influence, if not outright control, and I have little doubt that China does not see reunification or democratization as being in China’s interest. These latter conditions should both be non-negotiable goals of U.S. policy for the simple reason that they are the fastest way to bring prosperity to North Korea, which in turn is the best long-term guarantor of peace.

I hope to have more thoughts on this subject later.