hankyoreh

By Park Byong-su, staff reporter and Kang Tae-ho, senior staff writer

The Park Geun-hye administration’s approach to North Korea that was disclosed in the joint briefing by the Ministry of Unification and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Mar. 27 can be summarized as a plan to continue the two-track strategy of putting pressure on the North while seeking dialogue. In addition, the ministries said in their reports that they would also pursue humanitarian aid to the North and inter-Korean talks in order to get the trust process for the Korean peninsula off the ground.

At the 2013 work report briefing presided over by Park Geun-hye at the Blue House, Yun Byung-se, Minister of Foreign Affairs, spoke about North Korea’s nuclear program. “Along with maintaining pressure on North Korea with the assistance of countries around the world who are dutifully carrying out UN Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 2094, we will devote ourselves to making progress on the North Korean nuclear issue through multilateral deliberation, including bilateral and trilateral discussions with the members of the six-party talks,” Yun said.

Yun’s remarks indicate that he will seek to change North Korea’s attitude by strengthening the sanctions in the UNSC resolution through deliberations with neighboring countries, with the ultimate aim of solving the North Korean nuclear issue. A senior official in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs interpreted this as a “two-track approach.” “With North Korea continuing its provocations and threats after its third nuclear test, sanctions are definitely taking center stage, but talks and cooperation are always possible, provided that North Korea makes the right choice,” the official said.

The Ministry of Unification also reported that it would stick to the trust building process policy direction for the Korean peninsula through a practical and balanced approach that prioritizes tight security, while at the same time leaving open the possibility of dialogue. In terms of specific actions to be taken to normalize inter-Korea relations through the trust building process, the ministry identified nine key tasks. These included finding a real solution to the humanitarian issue, promoting dialogue between the two countries, finding a more systematic way to enforce agreements, pursuing reciprocal cooperation and exchange, making the Kaeseong Complex more international, and bringing about a thaw in inter-Korea relations to help solve the North Korean nuclear issue.

In the press conference held after the work report was completed, Ryoo Kihl-jae, Minister of Unification, emphasized eliminating nuclear weapons from the Korean peninsula and creating a virtuous cycle in inter-Korea affairs. “If some degree of trust can be established up between the North and South through the trust building process for the Korean peninsula, that will clearly contribute to the development of inter-Korea relations,” he said.

But considering the gravity of the current situation, with the military standoff pushing tensions ever higher, the range of policy options for building trust is limited. Ryoo showed his awareness of this when he said, “We will not allow circumstances to prevent us from actively seeking to improve inter-Korea relations.” But nothing was said about what concrete steps would be taken aside from the promise to provide humanitarian aid to the young and the needy in North Korea.

One reporter asked Ryoo whether the South shouldn’t be more proactive in pushing for talks to deter the North from making further provocations and to prevent war from breaking out on the Korean peninsula. The talks the reporter suggested would be on a different level from ongoing discussions about cooperation and exchange between North and South Korea. In response to this question, Ryoo said, “While this is an issue that we are considering, the fact remains that this is North Korea that we are dealing with. As of now, it is hard to say whether such talks are possible, and whether the North is ready to listen. For the moment, we will have to wait and see. Whenever the time comes, we will do what needs to be done.”

Regarding South Korea’s relations with neighboring countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced its plan to upgrade the ROK-US alliance to a comprehensive strategic alliance for the twenty-first century by expanding the scope of bilateral cooperation to the area of global issues. When it comes to China, the Ministry said that it would engage in a variety of strategic discussions to seek collaboration in the areas of politics and security, and that it would strengthen the “cultural bond” between the two countries, which share a common legacy of Confucianism and the writing of Chinese characters. Concerning Japan, the Ministry said it would establish a stable foundation for collaboration through expanding economic cooperation and cultural exchange while also maintaining a firm stance on historical issues.

In addition, The Ministry also suggested the Northeast Asian Peace and Cooperation Initiative (Seoul Process), which is designed to create an initiative for regional cooperation, as a way to overcome the so-called Northeast Asian paradox. This paradox refers to the fact that, even as the countries in Northeast Asia become more economically dependent on each other, distrust and conflict continue to hamper bilateral cooperation.

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