hankyoreh

Top diplomats from Seoul and Washington recently shared their views on North Korea’s disablement process of its nuclear facilities, the establishment of a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula and a summit of related nations. The results of the second inter-Korean summit, and steps toward the North’s nuclear disablement that began a few days ago, certainly had a favorable impact on this. All of the efforts related to the North’s nuclear dismantlement and discussions on the peace regime are expected to make smooth progress.

South Korea and the United States, first of all, have agreed to complete the disablement process during this year. The U.S. team of technical experts currently in Pyongyang have reportedly concluded that all of the necessary steps, except for the removal of spent fuel rods from the five-megawatt reactor, will be finished by the end of this year. North Korea is very cooperative and at least one step out of 11 is anticipated to be complete within the week. In addition, the North is likely to report on how the disablement process is progressing soon. It is natural for Seoul to participate in these processes. It is rather late for the two nations to have agreed to discuss the details of the matter at the foreign ministers’ meeting.

It was agreed that negotiations on a peace regime will commence when there is visible progress on denuclearization, and at the time when disablement and progress in abandonment are in motion. In other words, the start of peace regime talks can be declared when there is progress on disablement. It would be good if the timing of when this happens is, at the latest, no later than the middle of December. The declaration that negotiations are underway will help in finalizing disablement and in having the U.S. government be able to take action in response, such as removing North Korea from its list of nations that are state sponsors of terrorism, without having to worry what hard-liners think.

Regarding the somewhat controversial summit to declare an end to the Korean War, it was agreed that there would be an examination of ideas for assembling political will at the “highest level needed” to provide political propulsion for making progress in overall denuclearization. In other words, they are going to consider a three our four party summit, the likes of which were agreed to at the inter-Korean summit in Pyongyang, but talk about declaring the war over was omitted. It would appear that the government tried to keep alive the spirit of the agreement reached in Pyongyang while showing consideration for the position of the Americans, who are hesitant about a declaration about hostilities. What is important is that the idea is to have summit talks at an appropriate time, since it is only the national leaders who can provide enough of the momentum needed in the course of talking about nuclear abandonment and a peace regime.

The Korean Peninsula is entering a stage where it is reorganizing in earnest, making a new structure to replace the Cold War framework. The presidential election must not be an obstacle which prevents that from happening. This juncture in time demands that all candidates and parties keep the big picture in perspective, based on the determination to act on behalf of the common interests of the Korean nation and universal peace, and not on their own partisan decisions.

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