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By Kim Kyu-won, staff reporter
Experts on South-North Korea relations agree that the next government must depart from the current administration’s policies on North Korea, according to a recent survey.
The Hyundai Economic Research Institute recently surveyed 112 experts on South-North Korea relations and found that 50% of them responded that current policies on North Korea must be completely changed. The other 50% responded that changes must take place but that they should be carried out softly. None of the experts surveyed responded that the current policy should be maintained.
Liberal experts preferred a complete change (73%) while those on the conservative side favored milder changes (90.3%). But everyone seemed to agree that changes are necessary. Of the experts, 31 classified themselves as conservatives, 43 as moderates and 38 as liberals.
87.5% of the surveyed responded that major agreements reached between South and North Korea should be honored by the next government. Major agreements include the 1972 South North Joint Communique, the 1992 South North Basic Agreement, the 2000 June 15 Summit Declaration, and the 2007 October 4 Summit Declaration. Of these agreements, the Lee Myung-bak administration has been reluctant to recognize the 2000 and 2007 Summit Declarations.
On South-North economic cooperation, most of the experts felt that sanctions should be lifted and economic cooperation with the North should be resumed. 88.4% of those surveyed approved of lifting the May 24 measures against North Korea; 98.2% approved of maintaining and expanding the Kaesong Industrial Complex; 91.1% approved of resuming the tours of Kumkang Mountain and Gaesung; and 87.2% approved of humanitarian aid to North Korea and pursuing exchanges with the North.
Lee Yong-hwa, a senior researcher at the Hyundai Institute said, “For the next government to improve South-North relations, it must maintain three principles. It must separate politics from economic issues. It should also separate government from private projects with North Korea, and maintain humanitarian support.”
　
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