Second working-level meeting on Kaesong to be a touchstone for inter-Korean relations in the future

Posted on : 2013-07-09 12:08 KST Modified on : 2019-10-19 20:29 KST
Seoul could seek expression of regret from Pyongyang on Kaesong closure, and guarantee that it won’t happen again
 co-chairman of the Corporate Association of Kaesong Industrial Complex
co-chairman of the Corporate Association of Kaesong Industrial Complex

By Kang Tae-ho, senior staff writer and Gil Yun-hyung, staff reporter

Speaking in regard to the inter-Korean working-level talks that will be held at the Kaesong Industrial Complex on July 10, South Korean President Park Geun-hye once again emphasized that generally accepted practices and international regulations must be kept. Park is taking a “universalist” approach to the North Korean issue, and it’s not clear what effect that will have on inter-Korean talks in the future.

“If inter-Korean relations are to move forward in the future, we must reach agreements that conform to generally accepted practices and international standards,” Park said as she presided over a meeting of her secretariat at the Blue House on July 8. “It is only if past agreements that were made in this way are kept that we can build trust and forge a constructive relationship.”

“Preventing promises from being broken and other mistakes from being made is important not only for resolving the issue of the Kaesong Complex but also for the development of inter-Korean relations in the future,” Park added. This is being seen as indicating that the question of whether an agreement can be reached at the second working-level meeting will be a touchstone for inter-Korean relations in the future.

The last of the four clauses that were agreed to in the July 6-7 inter-Korean working-level talks is particular significant. This clause includes both North Korea’s position (“North and South will permit the companies at Kaesong to resume operations when preparations are completed”) and South Korea’s position (“Kaesong will be normalized, [with measures taken to] prevent operations from being suspended again”). Whether Seoul and Pyongyang will take a step forward on this issue during the second round of working-level talks, or whether the bickering will only get worse, remains to be seen.

As Park’s remarks suggest, South Korea will only regard preparations for reopening Kaesong as being completed when North Korea has taken responsibility for the losses that have been incurred as a result of the shutdown of Kaesong and when it has promised to prevent a similar incident from happening in the future.

“Measures must be adopted so that we do not find ourselves once again in a situation in which North Korea unilaterally shuts down operations at Kaesong,” said an official at the Ministry of Unification on condition of anonymity, July 8. “Just the inspection of equipment doesn’t mean that the complex will reopen right away.”

Nevertheless, it is highly probable that North Korea will claim that the phrase “when preparations are completed” signifies that Kaesong will reopen as soon as inspection of facilities and other practical steps are complete.

Another problematic point is the language that North and South used to express their stances on “progressive normalization of the Kaesong Complex.” Technically, they did not “agree” but rather stated that they “shared an understanding” on the issue. This phrasing indicates the lowest degree of agreement.

“Since North Korea was blocked entrance to the complex and to withdraw its workers first, the South Korean government certainly has the right to ask the North to ensure this doesn’t happen again, and North Korea must also promise not to do this again,” said Paik Hak-soon, a researcher at the Sejong Institute. “However, if the South Korean government asks for a detailed expression of regret, North Korea might take that as going too far.”

On July 8, the Ministry of Unification had contact with North Korea about the members of the delegations to the second working-level meeting and the schedule of the meeting. The ministry also spoke with Kaesong tenant companies about the issue of visiting the North and inspecting the equipment. North and South extended the final time for phone calls between liaison officers at Panmunjom beyond the normal time of 4pm to enable these discussions to take place.

On July 10, delegations from the South Korean government and companies operating at Kaesong are planning to visit Kaesong. They will be joined by staff from the Korea Electric Power Corporation, KT, and Korea Water Resources Corporation.

On the afternoon of July 8, the Corporate Association of Kaesong Industrial Complex held a meeting of its emergency measures committee to discuss plans for visiting the North.

 

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