S. Koreans calmly react to inter-Korean summit

Posted on : 2007-08-13 13:33 KST Modified on : 2019-10-19 20:29 KST
South Korean's perception of N. Korea undergoes big chnages

“I was pleased at the news of the summit between the leaders of South and North Korea, but the media had previously reported they may hold a second meeting. Will there be any meaningful results? Even if not, they should meet again and again,” said Hwang Young-woo, 54, a taxi driver in Seoul. Hwang made the remark on Aug. 10, two days after South and North Korea officially announced they would hold a second summit later this month.

“Compared with seven years ago, I was surprised because my neighbors have not had much of a reaction to the second summit,” said Kim Eun-hee, 24, a university student. “I hope the two leaders discuss practical issues, such as cultural exchange or divided families,” she said.

When the South Korean government announced the first historic summit in April 2000, South Koreans greeted the news with hope, jubilation and anticipation that their dreams of reunification might soon come true. The media described North Korean leader Kim Jong-il’s leadership as strong and immense. However, seven years on, citizens are reacting calmly, saying that it is meaningful for the leaders of South and North Korea to meet again.

Kyungnam University professor Kim Geun-shik said, “The 2000 summit was meaningful because it was a historic, first-ever meeting. Since then, South and North Korea have regularly held ministerial meetings and North Korea joined the six-party talks amid constant rumors of a second summit. It is a natural outcome of those events that people are now reacting calmly to news of the second summit.”

Analysts say that people consider this summit as a step toward reunification amid progress in inter-Korean relations. Park Kyung-soon, chief of the Korean Progressive Movement Research Center, said, “As inter-Korean economic cooperation projects, such as those at Gaeseong industrial park and Mount Geumgang, have gone smoothly, it’s becoming normal for people to visit to the North.”

Over the past 10 years, South Koreans’ perception of North Korea has significantly changed. When North Korea threatened to withdrew from the nuclear non-proliferation treaty in 1994, people stocked up heavily on food and other necessities. In June 2002, when a North Korean battle ship attacked a South Korean Navy vessel and the two exchanged gunfire, it triggered little disturbance among the general public.

Inje University professor Jin Hee-kwan said, “In the early days of the administration of President Kim Dae-jung, conservative groups demanded that the government unify a channel to aid North Korea. But, in 2004, when an explosion hit the North’s railway station at Ryongcheon, conservative groups were at the forefront of relief activities.”

Jin added, “Though some people worry that the second summit might constitute a political strategy ahead of the presidential election, given the change in South Koreans’ perception of North Korea, people’s expectations will grow again if the second summit brings about some meaningful achievements.”

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