hankyoreh

Kim Chang-su

Even after North Korea removed its staff from the inter-Korean joint liaison office in Kaesong, 25 South Korean staffers performed their normal duties at the office over the weekend, South Korea’s Ministry of Unification (MOU) announced on Mar. 24. In addition to the 25 weekend staffers, the ministry was planning to send 54 more staffers to the liaison office on the morning of Monday, Mar. 25. In connection to this, the North Koreans reportedly accepted the list of 54 South Koreans scheduled to cross the border on the morning of Mar. 25 without comment.

In effect, by voicing its approval of South Koreans remaining at the office, North Korea is cooperating with and supporting South Korea’s operation of the liaison office in line with prior agreements despite its withdrawal on Mar. 22. But the South Korean office staffers may find themselves without their North Korean counterparts for some time to come.

On Mar. 24, the MOU held a situation assessment meeting for the second day in a row, which was led by Vice Unification Minister Chun Hae-sung and attended by Kim Chang-su, South Korean Secretary General of the joint liaison office, as well as the heads of the ministry’s major bureaus and offices. “We’re in regular contact with the staff at the Kaesong office. There are no safety issues,” an MOU official said.

North Korea hasn’t taken any additional action after abruptly announcing the removal of its staff on Mar. 22. But the North Koreans are cooperating and providing assistance in the operation of the liaison office.

“We’ve been informed by North Korea that support for South Korean workers’ sojourn at and access to the joint liaison office at Kaesong will be taken over by North Korea’s Special Zone Development Guidance General Bureau, which was in charge of work at the Kaesong Industrial Complex,” an MOU official said, while referring to the vacuum created by the withdrawal of North Korean personnel.

“The General Bureau also supported the 44 South Korean staffers crossing the inter-Korean border and returning to South Korea on the afternoon of Mar. 22,” this official added. Considering that North Korea said on Mar. 22 that it would notify South Korea about practical matters, the General Bureau has basically been designated to serve as a temporary communications channel for South Korean staff at the liaison office.

When South Korea used the military communication lines to send a list of 54 individuals, including Secretary-General Kim Chang-su, who would be crossing the border into the North on Mar. 25, North Korea accepted the list. The apparent message from the North is that it will guarantee South Korea’s one-sided operation of the joint liaison office, at least for the time being. “Since deliberations with the related North Korean organs have concluded, we’re planning for our staff to cross the border into the North as usual,” said an MOU official.

Fifty-four South Korean staffers entering the North would mean that 79 South Koreans (21 office employees and 58 support staff) will be working at the liaison office this week, 10 more than the 69 who were there last week.

“The inter-Korean military communication lines are functioning normally,” said a South Korean government official. The supporting staffers are employees of Hyundai-Asan, KT and the Gasesong (Kaesong) Industrial District Foundation who are involved with running facilities such as the cafeteria and dormitories and maintaining infrastructure including electricity and water.

In a written response to confirmation questions submitted to the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, Kim Yeon-cheol, who has been nominated to be Unification Minister, expressed his “regret” regarding North Korea’s announcement of its withdrawal from the liaison office and said that, if he is appointed as minister, his “first priority will be swiftly normalizing operations at the liaison office as part of efforts to build trust between South and North Korea and to establish sustainable relations.”

“Furthermore, I will explore ways to further promote inter-Korean communication through the liaison office and to expand and develop the office’s functions,” Kim added.

By Lee Je-hun, senior staff writer

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