‘Changchun Project’

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

National

Wed, November 29, 2023 | 17:36

Today`s Column

‘Changchun Project’

Posted : 2012-09-04 16:55

Updated :

Last month, I visited the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in China. The journey was full of excitement and expectation. One side of me was filled with excitement as I was going to see Mt. Baekdu with my own eyes, a national treasure which we inherited from our divine ancestors.

By Rhee Soo-taek

Last month, I visited the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in China. The journey was full of excitement and expectation. One side of me was filled with excitement as I was going to see Mt. Baekdu with my own eyes, a national treasure which we inherited from our divine ancestors.

On the other side was that I had the opportunity to reaffirm my optimistic view of the potential relationship development between South Korea, China and North Korea. Since 2010, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) has worked toward the "Changchun Project" as part of a regional cooperative program in Northeast Asia. Three Investment and Technology Promotion Offices (ITPOs) in South Korea, China and Japan, establishing a development initiative for the region, chose Jilian Province as the first candidate site.

An implicit consensus exists among the three offices that it is desirable to induce North Korea's interest toward industrial development. The project is structured to build an industrial region along the border between China and North Korea where the market economy mechanism can operate among investors from South Korea, China, Japan and labor forces from the North. In my view, Jilian Province does not necessarily have to be the only one to benefit. If the project proves to be successful, other areas like the Liaoning region and/or the coastal region of Russia could be the next candidate.

The visit to the Yanbian Korea Autonomous Prefecture was arranged by UNIDO ITPO Beijing and the head of the office joined the trip to explore realistic possibilities for cooperation. Our delegation was given opportunities to examine and reconfirm local demand for the inflow of foreign capital and technology as we met with many public officials in Yanji, Antou, Hunchun and other areas. And one official, who visits North Korea regularly on duty, predicted with much conviction that “there will be a substantial change in North Korea-China relations." He also expressed great expectations for the new regime of North Korea. Looking at the recent visit to China of Jang Seong-taek, a powerful North Korean politician, I now see the reason for this official’s conviction.

It is also likely in South Korea that the policy toward the North will change when the new administration is inaugurated early next year. The leaders of the major political parties are presumably fine-tuning the type of policy South Korea should adopt for North Korea during the next administration. In dealing with various issues related to the Korean Peninsula, many Koreans have an attitude of “my country, my problem.’’ South Korea, the 12th-largest economy in the world, is not a small country and in today's world of strong and complex interconnections, any small action resulting in a change of the status quo cannot be neglected as “my own business." Koreans should be more objective in dealing with issues regarding the Korean Peninsula. They should not treat this issue just as their own but view it as a regional one that involves Northeast Asia as one entity and even further treat it as a global interest.

Having said this, I have a conviction that the United Nations can act as a reliable and effective facilitator for international cooperation. It has numerous specialized agencies and subsidiary organs. There is great potential for many projects involving North Korea among U.N. organizations. These projects can implicitly contribute to the stability of the region. My recommendation is to make the most of the existing projects U.N. agencies are pursuing. The “Changchun Project" initiated by UNIDO can be one viable option for South Korea follow up on.

The writer is a retired career diplomat of the Republic of Korea and is currently in charge of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization Investment and Technology Transfer Promotion Office in Seoul.