hankyoreh

North and South Korea are attempting to lock the door they opened. They are traveling down a road that nobody wants, but all they do is lay the responsibility on each other, and they make no efforts to find the key. The two Koreas have broken off relations, and South Korea can be seen dividing internally over this. The Lee Myung-bak administration just goes on about how this is “the fault of past governments” or “the fault of North Korea.” Does the Lee administration bear no responsibility? The Hankyoreh met with and called former unification ministers and asked them for their advice.

Lee Jae-jeong, professor, SungKongHoe University (Unification Minister, December 2006-February 2008): First, they need to guarantee a channel to hear various opinions regarding unification and the Korean Peninsula issue. They also need to create a nationwide organization. Second, they need to respect agreements between North and South Korea. The June 15 Joint Statement is a milestone in inter-Korean relations, and the October 4 Summit Declaration presented specific projects and methods to reach that goal. There is no method of resolving inter-Korean issues except the two declarations. Third, the stance of attempting to resolve the problem by asking for help from foreign countries, such as the South Korea-United States discussion, was misguided. The problem must be solved directly between North and South Korea. Because it is not a situation where a special envoy can be sent immediately, the president needs to express a firm will so that the problem can be solved through dialogue. Fourth, they have to create a cause that the North can accept. The government must respect North Korea, recognize it as a partner in dialogue, and show a stance that is broad-minded and far-reaching.

Lim Dong-won, chairman, The Hankyoreh Foundation for Reunification and Culture (Unification Minister, May-December 1999, March-September 2001): First, President Lee Myung-bak must change his thinking. Responsibility for foreign policy, national security and unification falls on the president. A shift in policy is important. The process of resolving the nuclear issue is like a process of building mutual trust. It inevitably takes a long time. It’s not a problem that can be resolved in one or two years. They must progress to a policy of tolerance rather than a policy of standing idly by, a strategy of parallel pursuit of denuclearization and improved inter-Korean relations rather than a strategy linked with the nuclear issue. It’s time to throw out Vision 3000: Denuclearization & Openness. Second, the June 15 Joint Statement and October 4 Summit Declaration must be observed just like international agreements. There must be authenticity and credibility. Third, they should abandon their posture of depending on outside forces and concern themselves with how to open up a future for the nation while making good use of the United States. Fourth, they should not be arrogant, but show the magnanimity of the strong. They need to listen carefully to the principles the Chinese people use in dealing with North Korea: “Don’t provoke their pride” and “(Don’t intervene in their domestic affairs, and) even if you know, pretend you don’t.”

Pak Jae-gyu, president, Kyungnam University (Unification Minister, December 1999-March 2001): The causes of the hardening of inter-Korean relations that has continued since the launch of the new administration can be found in the fact that North Korea has misunderstood the Vision 3000: Denuclearization & Openness plan presented by the Lee administration, South Korea’s co-sponsorship of a UN human rights resolution on North Korea, and the continued distribution of leaflets to the North by private groups as a “strategy of unification through absorption.” They must think about the fact that distrust gives rise to misunderstanding, and misunderstandings can even lead to war. If North and South Korea wish to resolve the misunderstandings and eliminate distrust, communication must be realized first and foremost. For communication, it is important that they have an approach for problem solving rather than unrefined, unilateral suggestions or acts of coercion.

Han Wan-sang, former South Korean Red Cross chief (Unification Minister, February-December 1993): The mess that inter-Korean relations are in can in large part be attributed fundamentally to the president’s lack of awareness and inappropriate statements provoking North Korea. And from a systemic level, a structure has been formed in the Lee administration where the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade controls even inter-Korean relations. The Unification Ministry cannot make its voice heard.

In order to solve the current situation of North-South confrontation, there needs to be a reform in this system. I don’t agree with a large-scale Cabinet reshuffling, but they need to use the end of the year as an opportunity to change the ministers of Foreign Affairs, Unification and Finance and Economy. While they change the ministers, they need to go beyond declaring that they will implement the June 15 and October 4 declarations and specifically suggest an agenda and date for working-level talks to implement them. They should be prepared to present as an item for the talks a program for implementing the two declarations. The new ministers in the national security and economy ministries and offices should create it in a new way. They should declare this change in tenor once and for all through a joint press conference.

They must be able to give hope to citizens. It is progress in inter-Korean relations that forms the foundation for creating economic vitality. For the construction and engineering areas said to be having the most difficulty now, a way out can be found in the building of infrastructure for expansion and development of inter-Korean economic cooperation.

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