By Kang Seung-woo
North Korea watchers said Sunday that Pyongyang’s series of conciliatory offers are aimed at solidifying its rule over its people as well as chipping away at South Korea’s strong North Korean policy.
The Stalinist country formally proposed Thursday halting all cross-border “slander” starting Jan. 30 and called for mutual action to prevent a “nuclear holocaust” on the Korean Peninsula, only to be snubbed by the South the following day.
However, the Rodong Shinmun, the country’s mouthpiece, said Saturday that the secretive state will take the first steps to fulfill its proposal to end inter-Korea tension, calling on the South to follow suit.
“Given that South Korea believes there will be no improvement in inter-Korea relations without a change in North Korea’s attitude, the North is insinuating that the current tension on the peninsula are due to the South’s policy toward them,” said Park Young-ho, an analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification.
The unification ministry said Friday that North Korea should immediately take substantial steps toward denuclearization if Pyongyang wants peace on the Korean Peninsula.
Dongguk University Professor Koh Yu-hwan expected that the North will continue to come up with conciliatory offers for the present as part of pressuring the South, as well as creating a perceived “friendly atmosphere” for the country.
“Although Seoul will not accept the proposals, Pyongyang will take unilateral action,” Koh said.
Since taking power in December 2011, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has set his sights on economic growth and improvement in living standards for the people to strengthen his reign, and the recent proposals are part of that plan, analysts said.
“In order to improve the people’s livelihood, there is the need for sanctions by the United Nations (U.N.) as well as the South to be lifted,” Koh said.
Angered by North Korea torpedoing the South’s naval ship Cheonan in March 2010, former President Lee Myung-bak suspended all trade and investment with the North on May 24 the same year. The U.N. also slapped the North with sanctions after its third nuclear test in February last year.
“As joint Korean-U.S. military exercises are scheduled for February through April, the North will have to prepare for them and the preparation will result in it funneling resources to the military, with the people more likely to struggle,” Koh added.
President Park has said that although there will not be a big thaw in inter-Korea relations, they may shift toward dialogue.
“When the joint military exercises are finished and if the North is still positively open to ending tension, the two Koreas may return to the negotiating table,” Park said.
Koh added: “The South Korean government needs not reject all suggestions from the North. In order to ease tension, they should meet each other rather than unilaterally deliver messages.”