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Apr. 28. The materials are being donated by the Ace Gyeongam Foundation to farmers in Sariwon

The South Korean government announced plans on May 1 to allow broad-ranging inter-Korean exchange efforts by private groups and local governments and organize joint cultural, historical, and sporting events for the 70th anniversary of Korean independence this August.

The question now is how Pyongyang will respond.

“We decided to issue a government statement on private interchange efforts because there have been demands for inter-Korean exchange from the civilian community since the joint military exercises with the US ended, and it was decided that we needed to make the government’s position clear,” explained a senior Ministry of Unification official on May 1.

Among the changes are active government support for inter-Korean sports exchanges in areas like soccer and ping pong, along with cultural and historical exchange efforts such as the joint identification and preservation of cultural heritage. Support is also being increased for the inter-Korean cooperation fund for civilian exchange and humanitarian efforts.

Another change involves general allowances for inter-Korean social and cultural exchange and humanitarian aid efforts by local governments, which the government had previously been discouraging since imposing a ban on exchange with the so-called May 24 Measures, sanctions implemented in the wake of the 2010 ROKS Cheonan warship sinking. News outlets would also be able to accompany members of private groups to North Korea for story coverage purposes.

The new attitude from Seoul, which comes on the heels of the Apr. 27 approval of a fertilizer aid project in North Korea by the private group Ace Gyeongam Foundation, is being seen as a means of proposing a thaw to Pyongyang. The aim appears to be to attract North Korea into agreeing to the South’s joint events for the 70th anniversary of independence.

These changes indicate that Seoul could grant approval for a request the day before by the Preparation Committee for Joint Korean Events for the 70th Anniversary of Independence for an inter-Korean event to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the June 15 North-South Declaration. The logic is that Seoul would need to approve the event, which Pyongyang is hoping for, in order to provide a pretext for the North to agree to its own 70th anniversary events.

“We’re looking at the project content now,” said a senior Ministry of Unification official on the June 15 anniversary event.

“It’s best not to make judgments based on what the leanings of a particular project or group are,” the official added. “We need to make an accurate judgment on the project content in terms of the overall context.”

It remains unclear how welcoming North Korea will be. For now, it appears likely to respond while keeping an eye on the approval situation for the June 15 event. If it does agree, the development - which would coincide with a North Korea visit planned by Kim Dae-jung Peace Center chairperson Lee Hee-ho (widow of former President Kim Dae-jung) later this month - could offer a way out for inter-Korean relations from their interminable slide.

By Kim Oi-hyun, staff reporter

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