hankyoreh

Inter-Korean relations have continuously deteriorated since the Lee Myung-bak administration took office, and they are now facing a new hurdle. The Committee for Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland statement released by North Korea yesterday is at a different level from previous measures. They declared the complete invalidation of all agreements made so far to reduce the political and military standoff between the two Koreas and of provisions regarding the Northern Limit Line in the West Sea. If this is interpreted as written, we are returning to a Cold War era standoff situation where a military conflict could erupt at any moment over the NLL. The CPRF statement says that “the indiscriminate anti-North Korea confrontational maneuvers by the South’s conservative authorities” have “driven inter-Korean relations to the worst possible state, one close to war.” But the statement itself harms inter-Korean relations.

This aggressive action by the North is regrettable. The agreements made thus far between South and North are not things that can be done away with through a statement of invalidation by either side, and as the agreements are disregarded, the damage to both sides inevitably becomes greater. It’s also unpleasant to see the statement repeatedly using such coarse expressions as “the traitor Lee Myung-bak.”

The statement had several effects in mind. First, we can see an intent to inform the new U.S. administration of the seriousness of the Korean Peninsula issue, leading to early direct negotiations, and to achieve solidarity internally. Of course, the biggest goal is to apply pressure so that Seoul changes its policy toward North Korea. Pyongyang has consistently demanded respect for and sincere adherence to the October 4 and June 15 joint statements, and this statement, too, is an extension of that. Thus, the core of the North’s claim is that “since the South is not adhering to the two statements, we are not going to follow other agreements either.”

The South Korean government is trying hard to show an unperturbed face with regard to this statement. It’s a policy of standing by and ignoring things, expecting the weaker North ultimately to submit first. There is also a deep-seated belief that it is no big deal if inter-Korean relations deteriorate further as long as cooperation between South Korea and the United States remains strong. This is the wrong attitude. Neither South Korea-U.S. relations nor North Korea-U.S. relations can substitute for inter-Korean relations. Also, as could be seen in the George W. Bush administration’s early policy toward the North, a policy of standing by and ignoring is just another name for a policy of antagonism.

The key to resolving the situation is in the government’s determination toward the October 4 and June 15 statements. Even if there were no pressure from the North, the two statements should be adhered to properly, and the government’s policy toward North Korea should be changed. The government’s contradictory attitude of speaking of inter-Korean mutual benefits and common prosperity while in fact pursuing confrontation and letting the situation grow worse must be done away with. Simply waiting without any other plan is the worst possible strategy.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]