hankyoreh

South and North Korea concluded their first round of prime ministerial talks in 15 years with abundant results. The talks, aimed at implementation of the October 4 Joint Declaration reached at the the second inter-Korean summit, mapped out a timeline for a series of talks to be held between the two Koreas with the hope that these agreements can be realized quickly, before President Roh leaves office.

The two sides produced three long written agreements on 8 articles and 49 items. According to the agreement, the two Koreas will hold 14 rounds of contact at the prime minister, deputy prime minister, and defense minister levels and set timetables on projects in eight areas by 2008. All of this seems to indicate that authorities from both sides have a strong desire to speedily progress inter-Korean relations regardless of regime changes.

Though the agreement reached during the three-day session, the first to be held between the prime ministers of the two Koreas in 15 years, was substantial, there are still some problems associated with implementation of the agreement's terms that need to be resolved.

The first involves the second round of defense ministers’ talks to be held in Pyongyang on November 27-28. Issues of guaranteeing military security for the creation of a peace zone in the West Sea and the operation of cross-border railways can only be resolved at the defense ministers’ meeting. Another matter of concern is how to resolve the controversial issue of the Northern Limit Line, or NLL, with a new approach toward creating a cycle of economic cooperation and peace.

The direction of the six-party talks and North Korea-U.S. relations are also expected to have an influence on how well these agreements are implemented and the progress of relations between the two Koreas. As was seen with the second North Korean nuclear crisis and the North’s nuclear tests and missile launches, when there are problems in the denuclearization process, it inevitably has an effect on inter-Korean relations.

Kim Seong-bae, chief researcher at the Institute for the National Security Strategy, noted on November 16, “In light of the previous cases, the U.S. should keep in mind that it is important for the denuclearization process and inter-Korean relations to keep pace with one another.” He continued, “It is necessary to convince the U.S. that development of inter-Korean relations does have a role in leveraging the continuation of the denuclearization process.”

If the United States actually were to raise the question of whether inter-Korean relations were being improved too fast when compared to the denuclearization process, the conservative forces in the South that value the ROK-U.S. partnership would be likely to support the U.S. position.

The upcoming presidential election is another important factor. It is important to minimize the political vacuum created when President Roh, who is only allowed one five-year term, leaves office in February next year. The key policies on North Korea held by the next administration will inevitably affect the implementation of the October 4 Joint Declaration. The latest inter-Korean prime ministerial talks set a tight timetable for the next two months, and according to the timetable, cargo rail service between Munsan and Bongdong should begin on December 11. The two Koreas seem determined to implement the summit declaration as soon as possible.

Another favorable result of the prime ministerial talks is that the two sides have raised the status of inter-Korean talks in terms of both content and formality.

The leaders of South and North will regularly meet to discuss pending issues and prime ministers' talks will be held every six months. The two Koreas will also hold meetings of a joint deputy prime minister-level North South Economic Cooperation Joint Committee twice a year and a West Sea Special Peace and Cooperation Zone Committee every quarter. In addition, the two sides will convene defense minister-level talks and a ministerial-level North South Social and Cultural Cooperation Committee.

If South and North Korea proceed with these meetings as scheduled, they will be the most frequently held talks between high-ranking officials in the world.

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