hankyoreh

The New Year has begun with an intensification of the war of nerves between South and North Korea.

In a joint editorial summarizing North Korea’s policy goals for 2009, published in the Rodong Sinmun and other North Korean newspapers on the first of the year, North Korea leveled harsh criticism at the South Korean administration of President Lee Myung-bak, calling it a “fascist dictatorship” and a “racketeer” operation. Lee hit back in a New Year’s address aired nationwide on Friday, in which he urged the North to abandon a policy he characterized as outdated.

In his address, Lee said, “North Korea must abandon its outdated practice of fanning a rift among South Koreans and become more cooperative.” A copy of the address sent to journalists before it was given read: “North Korea needs to become cooperative without continuing to ignore our sincerity.” Lee’s spokesman Lee Dong-kwan said that the president had revised the remarks on the morning the address was given.

While North Korea had again called on South Korea to live up to the June 15 and October 4 declarations in the joint editorial released the previous day, it appeared to be Lee’s intention to launch a counter attack. “North Korea should change itself first,” Lee said.

Kim Geun-sik, a professor of politics and diplomacy at Kyungnam University, said, “If President Lee attributes frayed inter-Korean relations and controversy within South Korean society over the policy toward the North to the North’s desire to create a ‘rift among South Koreans,’ there will be no room to gather public opinion and adjust the policy. This could lead to very serious consequences.”

An expert who asked not to be named said, “There seems to be no possibility that President Lee will exercise a practical North Korea policy.”

Inter-Korean relations were not a part of the four-pronged course of action set for the national administration for the coming year as presented in Lee’s speech. During Friday’s address, Lee’s comments on inter-Korean relations consisted of six-paragraphs. Lee reiterated that the South Korean government will be “firm” and “flexible” in resolving inter-Korean issues, and said he is “ready to talk to, and cooperate with, North Korea at any time.” However, the preconditions for this are that North Korea first give up its “outdated” policy and change itself.

Yang Mu-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies, said, “Unless the South and the North change their perceptions of each other, the divide between them will persist.”

Paik Hak-soon, a senior researcher at the Sejong Institute, said, “I’m deeply worried about how long and serious the rupture in inter-Korean relations will be this year.”

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