hankyoreh

the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

“Whatever format the talks may take, you must represent the feelings of the Korean people in the negotiations and work to create conditions that North Korea can accept,” President Park Geun-hye said on Jan. 19 in regard to inter-Korean dialogue.

Park made the request in a meeting at the Blue House on Monday morning. She was being briefed by the Ministry of Unification, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of National Defense, and the Ministry of Patriots’ and Veterans’ Affairs on the topic of preparing for unification.

Park’s comment is being seen as an instruction for the four ministries to adopt a more flexible approach that is can make dialogue with North Korea a reality.

Other points that Park emphasized were promoting cooperation and exchange projects that will provide North Koreans with meaningful assistance, expanding the scope of preparation for unification, and basing preparations for unification on firm security and understanding of the state.

However, just as in her New Year’s address on Jan. 12, Park did not make any bold proposals to North Korea.

The reports about various preparations for unification that the four ministries delivered to Park on Jan. 19 included numerous projects, including a ceremony jointly organized with North Korea to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Korea’s liberation from Japan and the simultaneous construction of cultural centers in Seoul and Pyongyang for Koreans on both sides of the peninsula.

However, since these projects tend to be one-time events instead of attempts to more firmly establish inter-Korean cooperation and exchange, and since it is unclear how North Korean approval can be secured even for these projects, it remains uncertain how realistic these projects are.

According to the briefing on Monday, the Ministry of Unification will push for the adoption of a bill this year tentatively called the Act for Creating the Foundation for a Peaceful Unification.

2015 marks the 70th anniversary of the Korean peninsula’s liberation, as well as its division, and the bill aims for this to be the year that ushers in the era of unification of the Korean peninsula. Toward that end, the bill will seek to create an institutional framework that will ensure preparation for unification continues without faltering, when a new administration takes office.

The bill will contain measures to promote the training of a workforce to prepare for unification. It will also include a “unification constitution,” which will provide the blueprint for a unified Korea.

The ministry also hopes to co-sponsor an event with North Korea to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the peninsula’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule. The Ministry plans to first propose the idea of setting up a joint committee for the event to North Korea and then move forward with preparations for the event.

In addition, the ministry put forward a plan to work with North Korea to carry out a test run of train service crossing the Korean peninsula into the rest of Asia. The idea would be for a trans-Korea railroad that departs from Seoul to travel on the Gyeongui Line to Sinuiju or Rajin in North Korea, via Pyongyang.

Another plan presented by the ministry is to deliberate with Pyongyang about the idea of building “three corridors” between North and South Korea in the areas of quality of life, environment, and culture.

In the area of culture in particular, this would involve simultaneously building Korean cultural centers in Seoul and Pyongyang. These cultural centers would support social and cultural exchange between civilian organizations in order to bridge the cultural divide between North and South Koreans.

The ministry also intends to work on preparing a cultural and lifestyle handbook for the Korean people, which will compile material about various aspects of life in North and South Korea, including customs, clothing, food, and shelter.

Furthermore, the ministry announced its plans to promote projects that will build the infrastructure for an inter-Korean economic community. These plans include developing the Kaesong Industrial Complex into a center for inter-Korean cooperation and using the Rajin-Khasan logistics project to build a logistics corridor that combines overland and maritime routes.

The announcement is being met with criticism that the government’s proposals are flash-in the-pan events that are more optimistic than realistic.

“Considering that we haven’t even resumed tours to Mt. Keumgang, it seems doubtful that there is much chance of bringing about trial operation of a trans-Korean railroad. It‘s high time that the government got over its obsession with grandiose events that lack strategic vision,” said Cheong Seong-chang, senior analyst at the Sejong Institute.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that it would seek to create a virtuous cycle of denuclearizing North Korea and improving inter-Korean relations and to secure support for unification of Korea from Korea’s neighbors as part of efforts to build an international foundation for unification.

The Ministry of National Defense announced that, in order to counter the threat of North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missiles, it would adopt an “anti-asymmetric strategy” that involves developing high-tech weaponry, included precision guidance and laser beams. It also said it would push forward a bill that would guarantee the human rights and welfare of members of the armed service and that it would implement an accident insurance system for service members.

By Park Byong-su, senior staff writer and Son Won-je, staff reporter

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