Calls for a new era of inter-Korean relations on anniversary of 2000 summit

Posted on : 2017-06-16 13:55 KST Modified on : 2017-06-16 13:55 KST
Experts, politicians and activists call for resumption of operations at the Kaesong Complex and tourism to Mt. Keumgang
Former Unification Minister Lim Dong-won makes his congratulatory address for an academic conference held on the 17th anniversary of the June 15 Inter-Korean Summit Meeting at the Kim Dae-jung Library at Yonsei University in the Seodaemun District of Seoul
Former Unification Minister Lim Dong-won makes his congratulatory address for an academic conference held on the 17th anniversary of the June 15 Inter-Korean Summit Meeting at the Kim Dae-jung Library at Yonsei University in the Seodaemun District of Seoul

“We need to play a leading role on the Korean Peninsula issue.” “It’s crucial that we create a sustainable policy for North Korea.” “The North Korean nuclear issue and the Korean Peninsula issue can’t be resolved without improving inter-Korean relations.”

On June 15 – the 17th anniversary of the inter-Korean summit in Pyongyang in 2000 when the leaders of North and South Korea sat down together for the first time since the division of the peninsula – scholars, politicians, social activists and former government officials came together to offer the administration of President Moon Jae-in advice for its North Korea policy. While participants differed somewhat in their proposed solutions, they were united in their understanding of the challenging situation on the Korean Peninsula.

“The critical challenge we’re facing is improving inter-Korean relations. Improving inter-Korean relations is the starting point for resolving the Korean Peninsula issue,” said former Unification Minister Lim Dong-won during his congratulatory address for the academic conference, which was held on the 17th anniversary of the June 15 Inter-Korean Summit at the Kim Dae-jung Library at Yonsei University in the Seodaemun District of Seoul.

“The most critical task” for improving inter-Korean relations, according to Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies, is “reopening the Kaesong Industrial Complex and resuming tours to Mount Keumgang.” “The Moon administration needs to recognize that inter-Korean relations can’t be restored without reopening the Kaesong Complex and that the reunions of the divided families can’t be held without resuming tours to Mount Keumgang,” Yang said.

“I think we need to propose unconditional talks. Sometimes you have to engage in dialogue for its own sake,” said Lee In-yeong, a lawmaker with the Minjoo Party. “Let’s start with easy topics like reunions for the divided families and economic cooperation and then approach the difficult topics.”

A large number of participants also thought that the new administration should deal with the North Korean nuclear issue separately from inter-Korean relations, in contrast with the preceding conservative administrations. “The administration of former president Lee Myung-bak [2008-13] severed relations with the North because of the nuclear issue. Instead of tying political and military issues to economic cooperation, we need a virtuous cycle in which they complement each other,” said Kim Yeon-cheol, a professor at Inje University.

“We’ve taken the approach of excessively internationalizing the North Korean issue. We need to bring the North Korean issue and the North Korean nuclear issue back under domestic control and to refrain from too much internationalization,” said Lee Jeong-cheol, a professor at Soongsil University.

Most participants also agreed that China’s proposal of “dual suspension” (North Korea suspending its nuclear and missile testing and the US and South Korea suspending their joint military exercises) should be the starting point for tackling the North Korean nuclear issue. “Freezing North Korea’s nuclear program might have been a feasible option a decade ago, but it can’t be the starting point now. What North Korea wants is to address the military issue. The South Korea-US joint military exercises could be the critical link,” said Kim Dong-yeop, a professor at the Kyungnam University Institute for Far Eastern Studies.

Kim Jun-hyeong, a professor at Handong Global University and a member of the diplomacy and security subcommittee of the Moon adminstration’s Governance Planning Advisory Committee, proposed addressing the North Korea issue starting with South Korea-US cooperation and then resolving North Korea-US relations. “If the US and North Korea don’t deal with [the North Korean nuclear and missile issue], it’s never going to be dealt with. [The new administration] needs to deal with this in its relations with the US so that the US can do what North Korea wants, just as the US persuaded Iran by doing what it wanted,” Kim said.

By Kim Ji-eun, staff reporter

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