[Interview] Prof. Park Han-shik’s impressions from North Korea

Posted on : 2014-02-23 08:21 KST Modified on : 2014-02-23 08:21 KST
After visiting N. Korea, Professor says Jang Song-thaek case is over, and campaign underway to depict Kim Jong-un as real leader
 University of Georgia professor
University of Georgia professor

By Park Hyun, Washington correspondent

Summarizing the mood in North Korea after a recent trip there, University of Georgia professor Park Han-shik said on Feb. 18 that the Jang Song-thaek incident appears to have been wrapped up. Park also said he thinks that North Korea would be willing to give up its nuclear weapons if its security were guaranteed. What follows is an interview with Park, who was visiting Washington in preparation for the Track 1.5 meeting between government officials and private sector experts from North Korea, South Korea, and the US.

The Hankyoreh: How is the mood in North Korea after the execution of Jang Song-thaek?

Park Han-shik. I regard the Jang Song-thaek incident not as a purge but rather as a criminal prosecution. On my recent visit, this impression became even stronger. A purge refers to people who lose out in a struggle for power, but there was no power struggle in this case. A power struggle would imply a revolt against North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, but that would be impossible. Another important question is whether Jang actually had any supporters in the party or the military, but he wasn’t able to gain any. I regard the Jang incident as being over. If it had been a coup d’etat, there would be continuing ramifications. The fact that there aren’t means the incident is over. The people who were directly assisting and working with Jang have all been eliminated. There are reports that the family of the ambassador to Cuba [Jang’s sister’s husband] was executed, but I heard that this was a groundless rumor.

Hani. It has been said that Jang’s followers disobeyed the orders of Kim Jong-un in regard to fishing concessions. Is this true?

Park: Even North Korea admits that Jang disobeyed the commands of Kim Jong-un, and it does not deny reports that Jang showed physical resistance. That implies that there were factional skirmishes within the army.

Hani: North Korea invited Robert King, US special envoy for human rights in North Korea, to discuss freeing Korean-American missionary Kenneth Bae and then canceled the invitation. What is holding up this issue?

Park: Kenneth Bae received his final sentence, and he himself admitted his crime. As a result, not even North Korea can release him without taking the necessary legal steps. Merrill Newman [a Korean War veteran arrested in Oct. 2013] was deported from the North [after 42 days] because he had not been tried and was of advanced age, but deportation is not a solution in Bae’s case. The only option is a pardon. Just as we have seen in the past, a petition must be made for a pardon, and then this petition must be reviewed. The decision about the pardon has to be made by North Korea’s highest authority. In order to accomplish this, the US government must send a special envoy or an official letter from the president. At first, North Korea asked Robert King to visit. But it seems that North Korea revoked this offer after realizing that King was responsible for criticizing North Korea’s human rights record. I would say that King is not an option anymore. So who should it be? There needs to be contact behind-the-scenes. There was a time when Bill Clinton met Kim Jong-il, leader of the North at the time, to make a direct request. Naturally, he went without any prior assurances from Pyongyang. I think that North Korea will also release Bae if the US takes the appropriate steps.

Hani: What is your projection for inter-Korean relations after the divided family reunions?

Park: The outlook is more hopeful than anything we have seen to this point. There is a connection between improving North Korea-US relations and improving inter-Korean relations. During his new year’s address, Kim Jong-un said that he would work for good relations with the South, that he would do what needed to be done even if the South did not respond. The leader opened the floodgates, so his subordinates have no choice but to follow suit. I think things are looking up. However, the most important thing while we are working on this is to refrain from hostile remarks and actions. North Korea even views phrases like “prove your sincerity” as hostile, since they imply that we don’t trust them.

Hani: The governments of the US and South Korea are not allowing negotiations to move forward because they do not believe that the North intends to dismantle its nuclear program. Is North Korea willing to give up its nuclear weapons?

Park: Kim Jong-un thinks that the North’s successful development of nuclear weapons means that he doesn’t have to worry too much about security issues and can shift the North’s resources to the economy. The belief that the presence of nuclear weapons represents a security guarantee means that the absence of nuclear weapons would pose a security threat. For this reason, the North will not give up its nuclear weapons until substantial and specific conditions have been met. Meeting these conditions will be a little difficult. Nevertheless, there is a way. So far, the North has said that it is not giving up nuclear weapons because of security. So if we were to ask if there is another method of providing security, the North would say that there is. That’s why I am trying to hold meetings. If North Korea says that it will not give up its nuclear weapons in any situation whatsoever, dialogue cannot take place. However, I think that the North will say that it would give up its nuclear weapons if certain demands were satisfied.

Hani: What are these demands?

Park: First of all, there needs to be a peace treaty. Second, relations with the US must improve and all sanctions must be lifted, making it easier for North Korea to function as a member of the international community. While these two conditions are necessary, they are not sufficient by themselves. In addition, we have to create a peace regime for the region. It should be a peace regime for Northeast Asia that includes not only the member states of the six-party talks but also Europe. It seems to me that if a mutual non-aggression pact were signed, most of the conditions would have been met.

Hani: A South Korean newspaper ran a story in which you were quoted as saying that North Korea is in the process of deifying Kim Jong-un. What did you mean by this?

Park: I did not say they were deifying him. I said that they are turning him into a leader. Reports that described this as deification or idolization are misleading. In contrast with my visit six months ago, there is a campaign now underway to show the party and the people that Kim Jong-un has the dignity, character, and ability required of a leader. A leader is not a deified dictator. In the monolithic system, the party, the people, and the leader are actually one, a trinity. This means one for all, and all for one. I expressed this as “becoming a leader.”

 

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

button that move to original korean article (클릭시 원문으로 이동하는 버튼)

Related stories

Most viewed articles