Official: Seoul indicates a grand bargain on lifting May 24 Measures

Posted on : 2014-12-08 14:51 KST Modified on : 2019-10-19 20:29 KST
Almost two years into Park Geun-hye administration, relations with North Korea remain stalled
 Feb. 23. 2014.
Feb. 23. 2014.

“Until we resolve the issue of the divided families, we aren’t doing our duty. If there is something we can give North Korea to make this a reality, we will give it serious consideration,” a high-ranking official in the South Korean government said.

“When we sit down for talks with North Korea, we need to talk about not only what we want but also what North Korea wants,” the official said in a press conference that was held on Jeju Island on Dec. 5.

The official also addressed the May 24 measures, sanctions that the South enacted against North Korea in 2010 after the sinking of the Cheonan warship. “If the two sides can meet to share various opinions about what can be done about the May 24 measures, I believe that the talks can serve as an opportunity to revoke the measures,” the official said.

These remarks are being taken to mean that a grand bargain could be made that would address areas of interest both for North and South. North Korea wants the May 24 measures to be lifted and tours to Mt. Keumgang resumed, while South Korea would like to settle the issue of the divided families and to move forward with the proposals made by South Korean President Park Geun-hye in the Dresden Declaration.

Prior to this, the South Korean government has held to its standard position that the issue of the May 24 measures can only be resolved through sincere negotiations between North and South Korea.

In comparison, the official’s remarks are attracting attention because they are the first time that the government has suggested that the current issues facing North and South Korea could be resolved on a quid pro quo basis.

If inter-Korean talks are held, issues including the divided families and the May 24 measures could be discussed as part of a grand bargain.

According to the official, the remarks were prompted by the Park administration‘s reflection on the North Korean policy that it has implemented for the past two years.

“During the past two years, the South Korean government has worked to implement its vision for North Korean policy, but we have been unable to improve strained relations with Pyongyang. Letting strained relations continue in the long term is not desirable either for public well-being or national security. We need to figure out what the reason for this is, whatever it may be,” the official said.

However, it remains uncertain whether this proposal will actually lead to a breakthrough in inter-Korean relations. There is still disagreement between government ministries in charge of foreign affairs and national security about the idea of holding comprehensive negotiations about the May 24 measures and other issues, sources say.

Furthermore, the official said that it is a matter of principle that North Korea must take responsibility for the sinking of the Cheonan if the May 24 measures are to be lifted. Since North Korea has disavowed responsibility for the Cheonan incident, the question of how to find a compromise with the North on this issue has yet to be answered.

The official also said that the issue of propaganda leaflets being sent into North Korea, which derailed the second round of high-level talks between North and South Korea, needs to be resolved through dialogue. “No doubt, North Korea regards the leaflets as an important issue, but it is also using them as a way to put pressure on South Korea,” he said.

In regard to humanitarian aid to North Korea, the official explained that the government had approved as many projects as possible except for those that North Korea had refused.

 

The government is also seriously considering the idea of resuming a project promoted by Jeju Island that involves providing tangerines to the North. The project was shut down in 2010.

By Son Won-je, staff reporter in Jeju Island

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