hankyoreh

“It is deceiving the country to say the West Sea’s Northern Limit Line (NLL) is a territorial line,” said President Roh Moo-hyun the other day, and there is an uproar over his comments. The main opposition Grand National Party (GNP) has gone so far as to suggest that at the recent inter-Korean summit, Roh promised North Korean leader Kim Jong-il he would see to it the NLL was rendered insignificant. One can see how the GNP and conservative forces in general are trying to undermine the joint declaration that was adopted at the summit, but in some ways Roh brought this unnecessary controversy upon himself.

The nature of the NLL is not something that can be defined very simply. As Roh says, it is something of a line prohibiting operations that was decided by the United Nations Command in 1953 without North Korea’s agreement. Furthermore, Article 3 of the Constitution says, “The territory of the Republic of Korea shall consist of the Korean peninsula and its adjacent islands.” Therefore, it would be irrational to define the character of the NLL according to the concept of territory.

On the other hand, it is still a fact that North and South Korea have exercised their respective authority based on this line for more than half a century. Like the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) you find on land, the NLL has functioned practically as a maritime demarcation line. It is not a legally valid maritime territorial division, but it is clearly also not a tactical matter either, something either side is open to alter at will.

What is important is that the NLL is not something of unchanging substance, and that it be recognized as something that can have its character and substance redefined together with confidence building between the militaries of North and South and the effort for peace. In the “basic agreement” of 1992 the two Koreas agreed to “continue to discuss the maritime nonaggression demarcation line,” but to respect the existing NLL until discussion concluded something else. Furthermore, the joint statement from the summit earlier this month calls for practical resolution to the issue of the NLL through the establishment of a “Special West Sea Peace Cooperation Zone.” This approach is also something that seeks to resolve NLL issue by elevating North-South relations to a higher level. It is a return to the ways of the Cold War and an unrealistic approach for the GNP and some conservative elements to raise their voice the moment they hear the NLL mentioned, because you cannot create a better future if you think a line drawn in a war situation should be held to forever.

The government needs to make concrete effort at peace between North and South to widen its foundation for a rational resolution to the NLL issue based on common interests. The way to go about that is already out there, in the “Special West Sea Peace Cooperation Zone.” Right now the National Assembly and the government all need to seriously consider what would really truly be for the sake of the country instead of getting consumed in wasteful rhetoric.