hankyoreh

Unification Minister

By Kang Tae-ho, senior staff writer

Even amid the dire state of affairs on the Korean Peninsula, South Korean President Park Geun-hye has taken great pains to keep her campaign pledge about the “trust building process for the Korean peninsula” in the month since her inauguration. Considering the various demands and pressures she has faced from within and without, it is clear that she really intends to carry out her pledge.

But now, observers are interested to see whether Park will make the first move to really get the trust process off the ground. It is only by devising a concrete policy and demonstrating her commitment to carrying it out that there is any hope for achieving a breakthrough in inter-Korean relations.

Park’s commitment to improving relations between the North and South has been clearly shown through her decision not to make a direct link between her policy toward the North and Pyongyang’s threatening behavior, such as the nuclear test and the nullification of the cease-fire agreement. During the oversight of the presidential transition committee, Park showed that she is aware that at the very least she must not repeat the mistakes of her predecessor Lee Myung-bak, who hampered himself through his hard-line response to North Korea’s nuclear program and the sinking of the Cheonan warship.

Despite the grave situation the country faced, Park said that she would keep open the possibility of dialogue. It is fair to say that she has maintained stability by keeping the basis of policy toward the North separate from firm responses grounded in national security. Also playing a role in this is the priority she has placed on working closely with China.

On Mar. 4, the North used the Chosun Sinbo, its mouthpiece and the publication of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon), to express its criticism. “We could not hold back our indignation that Park kept demanding that the North make changes and abandon its nuclear program without saying a single word about the North and South coming to an agreement”.

During his swearing in on Mar. 11, Unification Minister Ryoo Kilh-jae said, “More than anything else, the agreements that have been made between the North and South until now must be respected and adhered to.” During his speech, he also cited the Jul. 4 inter-Korean joint statement, the inter-Korean basic agreement, the Jun. 15 joint statement, and the Oct. 4 summit statement. Intentionally or not, the speech served as a response to North Korea’s criticism.

The Blue House had been hoping that expanded civilian exchange between the Koreas and other methods could be used to create the right mood for the trust building process on the Korean peninsula immediately after Park took office. The general atmosphere now is one of frustration with the North, which has repeatedly failed to get with the program through its third nuclear test and other actions.

“North Korea needs to give the South Korean government room to work with,” said a senior Blue House official. “Holding off on additional threats or provocations until Park visits the US will be the first challenge for the trust building process.”

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