[Editorial] Pyongyang Declaration hopefully marks irreversible progression toward peace

Posted on : 2018-09-20 17:34 KST Modified on : 2018-09-20 17:34 KST
South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un sign the Pyongyang Declaration at the Paekhwawon Guest House in Pyongyang on Sept. 19. (photo pool)
South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un sign the Pyongyang Declaration at the Paekhwawon Guest House in Pyongyang on Sept. 19. (photo pool)

South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un announced a “September Pyongyang Declaration” on Sept. 19.

After signing the historic joint declaration with the world looking on that morning at the Paekhwawon Guest House in Pyongyang following their second-day summit, the two leaders proceeded to discuss its significance in an ensuing press conference.

As an appendix to the declaration, the two also adopted a “military agreement for implementation of the Panmunjom Declaration.” The Pyongyang Declaration is all the more meaningful for the adoption of this military agreement, a de facto end-of-war declaration by South and North that writes a new chapter in the history of permanent peace.

Before leaving Seoul, Moon had said the summit was unlikely to produce any declarations or statements; the outcome here is laudable in going beyond a mere fleshing-out of the Panmunjom Declaration from April and establishing an irreversible milestone in peace on the Korean Peninsula.

Adding to the significance of the joint declaration was Kim Jong-un’s message during the press conference personally announcing his commitment to denuclearization to the rest of the world. His decision to visit Seoul within the year (barring exceptional circumstances) can also be seen as a major decision on his part for the sake of permanent peace on the peninsula.

Military agreement a de facto non-aggression declaration

The most obvious achievements in the two leaders’ Pyongyang Joint Declaration concern military matters. The military agreement – signed by the two sides’ respective national defense chiefs while the two leaders looked on – can be seen as making a decisive first step toward reducing military tensions and ending the threat of war.

To begin with, the leaders agreed in their joint declaration to end hostile military relations in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and other areas of conflict, to eliminate the practical threat of war throughout the Korean Peninsula, and to resolve the fundamental hostility in their relationship. Certified by the two leaders, the additional agreement was a de facto non-aggression declaration, specifying that neither side is to use military force “under any circumstances.”

The two sides proceeded to lay out various measures to prevent armed clashes on the ground, on the seas, or in the air. This is a significant development, expanding and deepening the content of the Panmunjom Declaration at various levels.

In the additional agreement, South and North also agreed to develop the area around the Northern Limit Line (NLL) in the West (Yellow) Sea into a maritime peace zone to prevent unintended military clashes and established a pilot joint fishery zone. This is laudable as a step forward toward the peaceful use of the region.

Also noteworthy is the two sides’ agreement to establish military guarantees for the joint use of the Han River estuary. Their agreement to swiftly inaugurate a joint military committee is especially crucial as a step toward institutionalizing measures to reduce military tensions and prevent war. Once a joint committee has been established, it will be possible to monitor implementation of the military agreement on an ongoing basis and have close communication and discussions for the prevention of unintended military clashes.

The big focus of interest at the Pyongyang summit has been the issue of denuclearization. The two leaders stated a commitment to denuclearization beyond what was stated in the Panmunjom Declaration, making references to concrete alternatives in terms of initial denuclearization measures.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un observe as South Korean Minister of Defense Song Young-moo and North Korean Defense Minister No Kwang-chol sign the military agreement for the implementation of the Panmunjom Declaration at the Paekhwawon Guest House in Pyongyang on Sept. 19. (photo pool)
South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un observe as South Korean Minister of Defense Song Young-moo and North Korean Defense Minister No Kwang-chol sign the military agreement for the implementation of the Panmunjom Declaration at the Paekhwawon Guest House in Pyongyang on Sept. 19. (photo pool)

Dispelling international distrust regarding NK’s intentions

In the declaration, they expressed the view that “the Korean Peninsula must be turned into a land of peace free from nuclear weapons and nuclear threats, and that substantial progress toward this end must be made in a prompt manner.”

This emphasis on swift, substantive progress can be seen as clearly showing Kim Jong-un’s commitment to denuclearizing. Particularly noteworthy is North Korea’s statement of its plans to permanently dismantle its missile engine testing site and missile launch site at Tongchang Village in the presence of inspectors from relevant nations. While the North had carried out previous dismantling efforts on the engine testing and missile launch sites, many argued at the time that it was “just for show,” citing the absence of observers from other countries. The latest agreement is likely to prove helpful in dispelling international distrust.

It is also significant that North Korea expressed its willingness to continue taking additional steps, including the permanent shutdown of its nuclear facilities at Yongbyon. To be sure, it stated that such a measure would be contingent on the US “adopting corresponding measures in the spirit of the June 12 North Korea-US Joint Statement.”

But it is certainly an attention-getter, as it could be seen as Pyongyang’s response to Washington’s demands for denuclearization measures ahead of an end-of-war declaration. In pledging to openly shut down the Yongbyon nuclear facilities while also shutting down the Tongchang engine testing site, the North could be seen as having provided a basis for the US to respond with a declaration ending the Korean War. All that is left to do now is to get the US to respond favorably to the North’s proposal.

Significance of Kim’s personal announcements of denuclearization commitment

An even more notable development with this joint declaration is Kim’s personal announcement of his commitment to denuclearization. During the press conference, he announced that he had “made a firm pledge [with President Moon] to continue making active efforts to turn the Korean Peninsula into a land of peace free from nuclear weapons or a nuclear threat.”

Kim has already stated his firm commitment to denuclearize on several occasions, but this is the first time he has said so publicly in his own voice. Drawing further attention were Blue House National Security Office Director Chung Eui-yong’s remarks about the two sides having had “a lot of discussions beyond what is in the joint declaration.”

While the announced terms do not appear to have gone quite as far as the US had been hoping for, we will need to watch what happens with North Korea-US talks going ahead.

Fortunately, the US’s response to the joint declaration has been immediate and positive. Moon is scheduled to meet with US President Donald Trump in the US for a summit on Sept. 25. This needs to be an occasion for getting the North Korea-US denuclearization talks started again and swiftly organizing a second North Korea-US summit. If necessary, South Korea may consider sending a special envoy or diplomatic official ahead of Moon’s visit to explain in detail about the summit.

In many ways, the latest declaration can be seen as containing more specific measures for advancing inter-Korean relations than the more abstract and declarative content in the Panmunjom Declaration. Hopefully, the achievements of this summit will lead to a historic breakthrough in the North Korea-US denuclearization talks.

President Moon visited Mount Baekdu with Kim for the final day of his North Korea visit on Sept. 20. As the two leaders climb this shared symbol of South and North, we hope they are able to form a deeper, more honest relationship for the sake of the Korean nation’s peace and prosperity.

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

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