hankyoreh

It is imperative for the two Koreas to come up with a “creative alternative” to dealing with the Northern Limit Line (NLL) issue, one of the items on the agenda for the upcoming inter-Korean summit scheduled for later this month.

The solution is to draw a maritime line, as insisted on by North Korea. The issue was not made part of the 1953 Armistice Treaty and the North does not officially recognize the NLL, arguing that it was unilaterally drawn by the United Nations Command shortly after the armistice was signed. The Seoul government has said that the issue could be discussed in military talks, meaning that the solution should come about as part of confidence-building measures.

If it is impossible to draw the maritime division line right now, both Koreas need to find an alternative so as to avoid clashes and peacefully manage the disputed maritime area.

Designating a shared fishing zone could be one of the ways to tackle the NLL issue, though little progress has been made on this idea. In military talks held between the two Koreas last month, the South proposed an equal fishing zone alongside the NLL, but the North proposed its own fishing zone. Seoul’s defense ministry sees the North’s suggestion as a way to neutralize the NLL altogether. Also, the North keeps saying that a maritime division line should be drawn first before discussing the designation of a shared fishing zone.

Building a joint maritime farm is another way. Unlike a shared fishing zone, a maritime farm would be designed to preserve the resources in the waters surrounding the dividing line between the two Koreas.

A maritime peace park is a more advanced concept that was suggested by Seoul’s Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries and pushed by the Ministry of Unification. Within the peace park, both countries could work together in preserving natural, cultural resources while at the same time promoting peace and cooperation.

In any case, the joint effort should go beyond the maritime borderline. In a report, the Korea Maritime Institute suggested that the sea area surrounding Yeonpyeong Island could be designated as a “peace zone” so that it could be used for peaceful purposes.

One government official noted that both Koreas need to address security concerns in designating this kind of maritime zone. In pushing for the measure, the needs of both countries should be reflected so as not to compromise maritime security.

Last year, the presidential office of Chong Wa Dae, the Blue House, reportedly reviewed various ways of designating the so-called “peace corridor” along the maritime border of the two Koreas, from which both countries could withdraw their military forces. Designating such an area would help to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula. A high-ranking government official urged the government to come up with a solution to effectively deal with the NLL issue, while at the same time guaranteeing the security of both countries.