Relations with North Korea have suddenly reached a five-star crisis, far worse than the vague and distant threat driving the United States toward war with Iraq. Pyongyang’s hawks have brought us to this point, but Washington’s hawks may have helped push them to it.

North Korea recently announced that it was immediately reopening a power reactor that can produce enough weapons-grade plutonium for one or two bombs per year. The reactor has been sealed since 1994 under an agreement with the United States. North Korea also has been secretly operating uranium-enrichment program, uncovered in October.

A lesser problem involved a North Korean ship carrying Russian-built Scud missiles, intercepted by Spanish and U.S. naval patrols off the horn of Africa. It turned out that the shipment had been ordered by Yemen, now an ally in the campaign against terrorism. Seller and buyer were both acting within their rights, and the delivery went through.

Unfortunately for both sides, President Clinton failed in 2000 to carry out his plan to go to Pyongyang to negotiate an end to North Korea’s missile sales, extend the 1994 moratorium on the country’s nuclear weapons program and set a course for eventual normalization of relations. There were obstacles for this plan, but the signs were right.

North and South both wanted to move forward toward economic relations and, at some point, reunification. The North, desperate for foreign exchange and resorting to the missile exports to earn $1 billion a year, had relaxed its demand for cash compensation and was willing to take food and oil instead.

But the American hawks didn’t want talks at all and regarded any compensation as giving in to blackmail. They got North Korea branded as part of the Bush “axis of evil.” Instead of talks, they prefer a tightened embargo and threats of a pre-emptive strike.

Two recent visitors to Pyongyang report they are convinced North Vietnam deeply wants normal relations with the United States, has no desire to become a nuclear power and is playing the nuclear card in a reckless attempt to get Washington’s attention after all else has failed.

It is not too late for President Bush to try negotiation instead of counter threat.