hankyoreh

The June 15 Joint Declaration greets its 10th anniversary with an unprecedented degree of deterioration in inter-Korean relations. The situation is so critical that, far from holding an inter-Korean event to commemorate the day, we instead must worry about the possibility of the outbreak of warfare. This situation urgently calls for a change in frame of mind of North Korean and South Korean authorities, and in particular the South Korean government, which holds the key to improving relations.

The June 15 Joint Declaration was an historic document, the first signed in a direct meeting between the leaders of North Korea and South Korea since the Korean War. It provided the foundation for transcending a half-century’s worth of distrust and antagonism and ushering in a new era of reconciliation and cooperation.

While there were some twists and turns, steady headway was made in inter-Korean economic cooperation, including the Kaesong Industrial Complex and Mt. Kumgang tourism projects. There were also various humanitarian efforts such as reunions of separated families, as well as vigorous activity in social and cultural interchange and cooperation. More importantly, we gained the confidence to resolve issues affecting the Korean Peninsula with our own strength, leaving behind our previous dependence on outside forces. The fruit of these efforts was the October 4 2007 Summit Declaration, which was a practical outline stemming from the June 15 2000 Joint Declaration.

The current atmosphere in which all relations have been severed except for the Kaesong Industrial Complex and North Korean and South Korean authorities are leading the way in exchanging threatening language, is clearly abnormal. If things proceed in this manner, there will inevitably be an increase in military tensions and uncertainty as the wasteful confrontation wears on. The same outdated Cold War structure that we sought to end through the June 15 Joint Declaration has been recreated with an even more threatening aspect. Both North Korea and South Korea will likely suffer the effects of this, but there is no question that the greater blow will be suffered by South Korea, which has an open economy and high productivity.

The Lee Myung-bak administration must directly examine this crisis and seize the opportunity for a reversal. With the exception of the nuclear issue, the competition in systems between North Korea and South Korea, whether economic, political or military, ended a long time ago.

In consideration of merely the yawning gap in national might, it is also clear that the principal responsibility for building a peace structure on the Korean Peninsula lies with Seoul. This is why a uniformly hardline response to the sinking of the Cheonan is undesirable. Indeed, the Cheonan incident is a good illustration of the failure of more than two years of policy emphasizing pressure on North Korea and demands for North Korean denuclearization before all else. The solution to stabilizing inter-Korean relations cannot come from any self-focused hardline response. It can only come from efforts at building a new situation that differs from the one we have seen seen to date.

The June 15 Joint Declaration is an important foundation, effective until the time of unification. Both North Korea and South Korea should preserve the spirit that informs this document and work to advance inter-Korean relations. The South Korean government in particular should not simply call for changes from North Korea, but instead should reach out first so that North Korea can progress in a more positive direction.

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