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Democratic Party Chairman Chung Sye-kyun and Renewal of Korea Party Chairman Moon Kook-hyun

Democratic Party Chairman Chung Sye-kyun, Democratic Labor Party Chairman Kang Ki-kap, and Renewal of Korea Party Chairman Moon Kook-hyun held an “urgent meeting” November 30 in the National Assembly member office building to discuss ways to deal with what they defined as a crisis in relations with North Korea. During the meeting the leaders of the three opposition parties decided to adopt a four-point joint resolution.

“The leaders of North and South Korea agreed to the June 15 Joint Statement and the October 4 Summit Declaration and the United Nations supported them unanimously. The (South Korean government) must clearly state that it intends to carry out the agreements. It must scrap its unrealistic Vision 3000 plan and change its North Korea policy to be one of reconciliation and cooperation,” the statement said.

The opposition leaders called on President Lee Myung-bak to get directly involved in resolving the issue of the anti-North Korea leaflet balloons being launched northward by conservative Southern groups. In addition, they called for the creation of a “pan-governmental inter-Korean exchange and cooperation promotion organization” to promote the Gaeseong (Kaesong) Industrial Complex project, the Mount Geumgang (Kumgang) tour project and the restoration of the Seoul-Sinuiju rail line as agreed at the North-South prime ministers’ talks of 2007, following the inter-Korean summit. They also called on the Lee administration to give the North unconditional humanitarian aid.

They also agreed to have their parties cooperate on issues relating to inter-Korean relations. Among other things, that could potentially include amending the Basic Law on the Development of Inter-Korean relations in order to prevent frequent changes in North Korea policy when there are changes of administration in the South and amending the Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Act in a way that would put restrictions on the sending of leaflets over North Korea by air balloon.

In addition, they said they would submit to the National Assembly a resolution calling for a solution to the crisis in inter-Korean relations, seek solidarity with civic groups and international organizations to the same end, and create a multi-party format for “saving” the Gaeseong Industrial Complex.

The very fact the three main opposition leaders met to discuss cooperating is significant insofar as it becomes part of a process of creating an “united front” against President Lee Myung-bak, based on the idea that relations with North Korea are at a crossroads.

On November 27 former President Kim Dae-jung suggested the creation of a “democratic union,” a term used in the past to refer to anti-dictatorship forces, to stop what he said is the “deliberate ruining” of relations with Pyongyang by the Lee administration.

Ruling Grand National Party leader Park Hee-tae strongly criticized the meeting and the resolution that resulted, calling the resolution “follow-North-Korean-ism” (jong buk ju ui).

“An approach that follows the North, that follows the words of the North’s Kim Jong-il, will just make the North shut the door to dialogue all the more,” said Park at a press conference called to denounce the opposition meeting. “How will it help inter-Korean relations to be silent towards the North and be mindful of the North’s preferences?”

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