Moon-Kim talks recall German policy of detente
By Kim Jae-kyoung
The historic inter-Korean summit was a meaningful first step toward a lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula, James D. Bindenagel, a Germany-based international security expert said, Sunday.
"The outcome, including the joint declaration citing denuclearization, peace overtures and increased Korean contacts, was better than expected," Bindenagel said in an interview.
"The summit before the summit (between Washington and Pyongyang) lends some hope for the beginning of stable peace on the peninsula," he added.
Bindenagel is currently the Henry Kissinger Professor for Governance and International Security at Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms University in Bonn, Germany.
He said that when President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un stepped across the dividing line in the demilitarized zone at the border village of Panmunjom, they "symbolically agreed to non-aggression and took a small step for peace on the peninsula."
He was the U.S. Embassy duty officer in South Korea when the 10cm cement line was drawn across Panmunjeom in August 1976 after the North Koreans killed two American officers and five South Korean soldiers. He served in South Korea from 1975 to 1977
The optimistic view came after Moon and Kim agreed Friday to end a decades-long war this year and work toward the complete denuclearization of the peninsula. They also agreed to encourage more active cooperation, exchanges, visits and contacts.
The career U.S. diplomat pointed out that the agreements for expanding bilateral exchanges were reminiscent of policies Germany adopted prior to its reunification.
"Increased contacts between the two Koreas recall the German policy of easing tensions, detente, that contributed over more than two decades to confidence the Cold War in Europe would not break out into a hot war," he said.
Despite positive outcomes of the summit, Bindenagel, who served as an American diplomat in East, West and the united Germany, said that there are many more steps toward peace before concrete results can be assessed.
"For example, credibility for a non-aggression agreement requires years of confirmed demilitarization, beginning with the removal of the artillery batteries aimed at Seoul," he said.
However, he believes that the summit was fruitful for both Koreas particularly in two aspects.
"South Korea has shown its political determination to facilitate American relations with North Korea that opens the way to avoid military action," he said.
"And North Korea's immediate goal to win relief from sanctions before the summit with the U.S. offers Kim a path to peace as well."
As for the Trump-Kim summit, the former U.S. Ambassador to Germany?said that Moon can support Trump to help Kim Jong-un in winning commitments from Xi Jinping and Trump to jointly guarantee non-intervention in the internal governance of North Korea.
"That would be the deal of the century. It is not impossible," he said.
He explained that in Europe the Helsinki Process made a similar non-intervention in domestic affairs commitment that contributed to peaceful coexistence among the Cold War opponents.
"President Trump could indeed make a deal that rivals Henry Kissinger's opening to China, if Kim is ready," he said.
Bindenagel said that denuclearization remains an imponderable, unanswered question because nobody is certain what it would take for Kim to give up his nuclear weapons that guarantees no regime change.
"If forcing the American military out of South Korea is his goal, Kim fundamentally misunderstands America's role in Asia as a stabilizing, peace-enforcing ally of South Korea and Japan," he said.
"The American and international demand for full, verified and irreversible removal of all nuclear weapons, is not negotiable."
By Kim Jae-kyoung
 |
| James D. Bindenagel |
"The outcome, including the joint declaration citing denuclearization, peace overtures and increased Korean contacts, was better than expected," Bindenagel said in an interview.
"The summit before the summit (between Washington and Pyongyang) lends some hope for the beginning of stable peace on the peninsula," he added.
Bindenagel is currently the Henry Kissinger Professor for Governance and International Security at Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms University in Bonn, Germany.
He said that when President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un stepped across the dividing line in the demilitarized zone at the border village of Panmunjom, they "symbolically agreed to non-aggression and took a small step for peace on the peninsula."
He was the U.S. Embassy duty officer in South Korea when the 10cm cement line was drawn across Panmunjeom in August 1976 after the North Koreans killed two American officers and five South Korean soldiers. He served in South Korea from 1975 to 1977
The optimistic view came after Moon and Kim agreed Friday to end a decades-long war this year and work toward the complete denuclearization of the peninsula. They also agreed to encourage more active cooperation, exchanges, visits and contacts.
The career U.S. diplomat pointed out that the agreements for expanding bilateral exchanges were reminiscent of policies Germany adopted prior to its reunification.
"Increased contacts between the two Koreas recall the German policy of easing tensions, detente, that contributed over more than two decades to confidence the Cold War in Europe would not break out into a hot war," he said.
Despite positive outcomes of the summit, Bindenagel, who served as an American diplomat in East, West and the united Germany, said that there are many more steps toward peace before concrete results can be assessed.
"For example, credibility for a non-aggression agreement requires years of confirmed demilitarization, beginning with the removal of the artillery batteries aimed at Seoul," he said.
However, he believes that the summit was fruitful for both Koreas particularly in two aspects.
"South Korea has shown its political determination to facilitate American relations with North Korea that opens the way to avoid military action," he said.
"And North Korea's immediate goal to win relief from sanctions before the summit with the U.S. offers Kim a path to peace as well."
As for the Trump-Kim summit, the former U.S. Ambassador to Germany?said that Moon can support Trump to help Kim Jong-un in winning commitments from Xi Jinping and Trump to jointly guarantee non-intervention in the internal governance of North Korea.
"That would be the deal of the century. It is not impossible," he said.
He explained that in Europe the Helsinki Process made a similar non-intervention in domestic affairs commitment that contributed to peaceful coexistence among the Cold War opponents.
"President Trump could indeed make a deal that rivals Henry Kissinger's opening to China, if Kim is ready," he said.
Bindenagel said that denuclearization remains an imponderable, unanswered question because nobody is certain what it would take for Kim to give up his nuclear weapons that guarantees no regime change.
"If forcing the American military out of South Korea is his goal, Kim fundamentally misunderstands America's role in Asia as a stabilizing, peace-enforcing ally of South Korea and Japan," he said.
"The American and international demand for full, verified and irreversible removal of all nuclear weapons, is not negotiable."
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