hankyoreh

Oct. 16.

Though an atmosphere for dialogue between North Korean and South Korean authorities has been developing over the course of a series of recent working-level discussions, a qualitative advancement in inter-Korean relations still appears a long way off. Observers say the most important question is whether it will be possible to move past working-level discussions focusing on individual issues and towards high-level talks to discuss overall improvements in inter-Korean relations.

Analysts say the conditions are set for proceeding to high-level talks. North Korea and South Korea cleared the air over the incident that took the lives of six South Koreans camping at the river through an Oct. 14 working-level meeting to discuss the prevention of flooding on the Imjin River. This was followed by an Oct. 16 Red Cross working-level meeting where North Korea formally requested humanitarian aid from South Korea.

A number of analysts are also saying that in formally requesting humanitarian aid, North Korea expressed its wish for South Korea to engage in high-level talks. Previously, the delivery of large-scale aid to North Korea from authorities was carried by providing rice aid through the Inter-Korean Economic Cooperation Committee and fertilizer aid through Red Cross talks that resulted from prior fine-tuning through inter-Korean ministerial-level talks. In light of these precedents, many observers are saying North Korea’s decision not to specify the scale or items of aid at this time should not be read to mean South Korea should decide for itself whether to proceed to high-level talks or not. “North Korea proposed high-level talks,” said Chung Chang-hyun, senior editor of Minjok 21 magazine, on Tuesday. “South Korea’s choice about whether to respond to North Korea’s request through Red Cross-level talks or to enter government dialogue is critical,” Chung added.

Some observers are voicing concern that inter-Korean relations may go back to square one if the situation progresses no further than the working-level Red Cross talks. “If the restoration of inter-Korean relations stops now at the working level, they could close up again at any time,” said Chung Chang-hyun. Chung said he thinks North Korea is prepared for serious discussions on improving transit, communications and customs in order to encourage activity at the Kaesong Industrial Complex and resume the Mt. Kumgang tours by ensuring a fact-finding investigation and a promise to prevent future incidents like the shooting death of a tourist that occurred there last year. Chung said, “Now is the right time for the government to obtain clear results in inter-Korean relations through high-level talks.”

However, the South Korean government is still showing an aversion to high-level talks. Regarding the scale of humanitarian aid to North Korea, a senior government official said Sunday, Hundreds of thousands of tons in rice and fertilizer aid goes beyond the scope of responding purely to a request for humanitarian support.” The official said, however, that small-scale support for groups that have been challenged such as young children would be examined.

A Cheong Wa Dae (presidential office in South Korea or Blue House) official said Tuesday that for the time being, the matter of aid to North Korea would be handled through working-level Red Cross talks. The official added that a decision on whether to proceed to higher-level talks would be made while observing any changes in North Korea’s attitude during the working-level discussions

The Lee administration’s aversion to talks ultimately stems from its policy of linking inter-Korean relations with the North Korea nuclear issue. According to the government, as long as North Korea’s attitude on the nuclear issue does not change, there can be no restoration of inter-Korean relations. Suh Jae-jean, president of the Korea Institute for National Unification, said, “North Korea is not showing any fundamental moves towards abandoning its nuclear program, so if we hold high-level talks and discuss things like large-scale aid and resuming tourism to Mt. Kumgang, we merely wind up falling into North Korea’s stratagem for escaping from sanctions.”

The South Korean government is emphasizing that even if enough headway is made in the nuclear situation to move on to high-level talks, the nuclear issue will have to be discussed as a priority item ahead of all other areas of inter-Korean relations. Suh said, “It means that we can only hold high-level talks if they do not stop at a simple discussion, but are at a level that can draw out a specific ‘action’ regarding denuclearization,”

However, this approach has been subject to strong criticism from some quarters as a dereliction of duty by the government. Yang Moo-jin, professor at the University of North Korean Studies, said, “By saying that advancement in denuclearization is a prerequisite for high-level or summit talks, the Lee administration is saying it will not be doing anything at all towards resolving inter-Korean relations or denuclearization.” Yang added, “In order to take a leading role in persuading North Korea to denuclearize, it will need to open the floodgates by agreeing to high-level talks.” Yang added.

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