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The US is an ally of the South and a sworn enemy of the North, but the cyberattacks did not get in the way of a welcoming response to the offer that the nations' leaders should meet for the first time since 2007.

Time for talks between the Koreas, not more sanctions

Decades of international sanctions against North Korea have not stopped its nuclear and missile proliferation.

North Korea

Decades of international sanctions against North Korea have not stopped its nuclear and missile proliferation. The latest round imposed by the US over the alleged cyberattack on Hollywood giant Sony Pictures is therefore unlikely to have significant impact. There are also doubts as to the source of the attack; while American investigators are adamant as to where the hacks came from, the nature of the internet means that those behind such crimes can carry them out from anywhere and, if knowledgeable, easily cover their tracks. Those uncertainties aside, though, there has never before been so firm a message from one nation to another that disrupting online business will not be tolerated.

The North has vehemently denied it was behind the cyberattacks, but circumstances made the American accusations understandable. Sony was targeted over its comedy, which poked fun at the North's leader, Kim Jong-un. The hacking of tens of thousands of the Japanese-owned company's emails was followed by threats against cinemas preparing to show the movie; the North, while denying responsibility, nonetheless condemned the film. When the firm withdrew the movie, a howl went up that freedom of speech was being eroded and US President Barack Obama criticised the decision. was subsequently given a limited release in non-mainstream theatres and on the internet.

Whether the North was behind the attacks and threats may never be known; investigators have provided no evidence to support their allegations. Nor are those targeted by the sanctions accused of hacking; three organisations with defence links and 10 individuals tied to them and the government are involved. Pyongyang's angry response was expected, although less predictable was Kim's New Year's Day offer of top-level talks with rival South Korea. The US is an ally of the South and a sworn enemy of the North, but the cyberattacks did not get in the way of a welcoming response to the offer that the nations' leaders should meet for the first time since 2007.

Nor should they: Talks with North Korea have to be embraced when offered as they hold the best chance of ending tension in northeast Asia. Sanctions and accusations have the opposite effect. With nations and companies so reliant on the internet, cybercrime has to be taken seriously and nations have to work together to combat threats. The same goes for rivalries and disputes, especially those involving risks and dangers.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Time for talks, not sanctions
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