hankyoreh

On Oct. 13, President Park Geun-hye said, “Resolving the issue of the May 24 measures, which are currently a hot issue, must involve North and South Korean authorities sitting down to hold sincere talks with a responsible attitude.” Despite several recent exchanges of gunfire triggered by the launch of balloons filled with propaganda leaflets and the incursion of a North Korean naval ship across the Northern Limit Line (NLL) in the West (Yellow) Sea, Park emphasized her commitment to dialogue.

Park did well to move toward decreasing tensions and improving relations between South and North Korea. But it’s regrettable that she did not say anything about curtailing the launch of the propaganda balloons.

This is the first time since her inauguration as president that Park has openly mentioned the May 24 measures, suggesting the weight that her words carried. It is also significant as an attempt to bring unity to the conflicting opinions being tossed around by ruling party politicians.

We hope that Park’s remarks will soon lead to action in order to revitalize exchange and cooperation between North and South Korea. The “sincere talks” that Park mentioned must not place strict conditions on North Korea. More important than forcing North Korea to apologize for the sinking of the Cheonan warship and the shelling of Yeonpyeong Island is creating the conditions that will prevent such events from happening again.

In the same way, Park ought to have said something about the launching of propaganda balloons. It is regrettable that she did not stamp out the sparks of conflict. In regard to this issue, the government is maintaining its position that it can try to persuade the organizations in question not to launch balloons, but it cannot force them not to.

This is an irresponsible attitude. Not only do the balloons go against the inter-Korean agreement not to slander each other, but they are starting to pose a threat to the safety of South Koreans. The argument that the balloons launches are protected by the freedom of expression only tells one side of the story. This is evident if we imagine North Korea launching propaganda balloons into South Korea.

For dialogue between North and South Korea - including the high-level talks that are planned for the end of October or the beginning of November - to proceed smoothly, North Korea also needs to act with more prudence. First of all, it should refrain from provoking the South Korean government or from taking aggressive action intended to test the waters of public opinion. In no event must it resort to force.

For one thing, if public opinion turns against the North, it becomes more difficult to create the conditions for dialogue. For another, North Korea should not only insist on its own demands; rather, it should seek a course of action that will work to the advantage of both North and South Korea and that will also be convincing to the international community.

Park said that inter-Korean relations have always been ambiguous, but she has never really made an effort to engage in dialogue since her administration came to power. If the South Korean government takes a more proactive stance, North Korea will respond positively. And the most important test of this stance is lifting the May 24 measures.

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