Don’t miss a chance for closer Koreas

The death of Kim Jong-il and the new start of Kim Jong-un leadership is an opportunity for peace in the Korean peninsula and improvement in inter-Korean relations but at the same time, a challenge. Kim Jong-un himself knows the fact that he must solve the current economic issues for the stability of his regime.  In other words, the North Korean regime may face a great deal of pressure to open and reform and the South Korean government may engage in the process.

North Korea praised Kim Jong-il’s past visit to China and Russia in the New Year’s joint editorial. At the moment, it is surely a big challenge to proceed with reforms owing to political conditions of North Korea or external environment. The New Year’s joint editorial can be interpreted that North Korea would continue the basic principle of an open door policy with China and Russia as central figures.

The Kim Jong-un regime does not refuse overseas cooperation and this could lead up to some room for South Korea to bring North Korea’s change with the help of neighbouring countries. Now it is up to the South Korean government how to utilise this opportunity for the peace in the Korean peninsula and the improvement of inter-Korean relations.

Of course, Kim jong-un’s leadership is not yet strong and he is surrounded by power elites. Internally, he will focus on the stability of regime and externally, he will take a hard line on South Korea and then, there is a high probability of causing unstable politics. Therefore, it is dangerous to neglect the Kim Jong-un regime and to miss the chance to improve the strained inter-Korean relations.

This is why we should make a necessary environment for North Korea to choose a path of open door and reform as soon as possible. North Korea is in a transition period after the death of Kim Jong-il and the North Korean government is extremely sensitive about any negative factors to the Kim Jong-un leadership and regime. In a situation like this, it is not wise at all to provoke North Korea and create tensions.  

Therefore, it is important to recover inter-Korean relations gradually with civil society actors as central players. Especially, humanitarian assistance such as food and medicine to North Korea suffering from food shortage will be a great help to improve inter-Korean relations. North Korea keeps a close eye on South Korea’s message. To move North Korea, South Korea should move first.

Fortunately, the South Korean government recently moved to a soft line in regard to North Korea from the past hard line. In a meeting of the Ministry of Unification on 5 January, President Lee Myung-bak said, “We have no intent to absorb North Korea.” The Minister of Unification Yu Woo-ik said, “It is possible to discuss with North Korea implementation issues such as the Mount Kumgang tour, the June 15 agreement and the October 4 agreement.”

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Kim Sung-hwan especially said, “Kim Jong-un with an appropriate title can be recognized as a negotiating partner including a summit.” Issues of Cheonanham Attack and Yeonpyeongdo Firing were prerequisites of negotiation in the past but now they are negotiable matters themselves. North Korea continuously requested the implementation of the June 15 agreement and the October 4 agreement and now both Koreas are ready to discuss to implement them.

Of course, it is still uncertain whether the changes in policies like this will be actually implemented or not. The details of policy implementation are not announced yet. For the issue of aid to North Korea which is the most important player to recover trust between both Koreas, indirect support through international aid agencies is only mentioned but not direct support by the South Korea government.  

Both South and North Korea must have ‘a new window of opportunity’ for discussion and peace of the Korean peninsula after the death of Kim Jong-il. It is not right to pass the buck or repeat unrealistic measures. The inter-Korean relations are under great strain with the Lee Myung-bak administration.

One person of the two who created that strain is now a dead man. It will also be of benefit to the Lee Myung-bak administration if he provides strategies to invite the Kim Jong-un regime and to work hard for improvement of relations proceeding with the strategies with sincerity.

Maybe Nuclear Security Summit Seoul 2012 in Mach will be a golden opportunity to solve the East Asian issues. If you reach out your hand first, you will control the situation. That is the way it is.

Lee Sang-ki