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Mon, June 27, 2022 | 21:10
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Seoul mayor criticizes Park's NK policy
박원순 "햇볕정책 지속했다면 김정은 만났을 것"
Posted : 2014-08-14 16:41
Updated : 2014-08-14 18:31
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‘I want to hold cultural events in Pyongyang'

By Lee Hyo-sik
Park Won-soon
Park Won-soon
Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, a potential presidential candidate, has criticized President Park Geun-hye's hard-line stance toward North Korea, urging her to take a reconciliatory approach toward the communist country.

In a roundtable talk with former Berlin Governing Mayor Walter Momper in the German capital city, Wednesday (local time), Mayor Park said if the Park administration had continued the ''sunshine policy'' ― a set of reconciliatory policies toward the North introduced by the late former President Kim Dae-jung ― he would already have met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

''The Kim Dae-jung administration achieved significant accomplishments through the sunshine policy. Things were on the right track under the late former President Roh Moo-hyun, who maintained a friendly stance on the North," Mayor Park said. ''However, the inter-Korean relations have become tense again these days.''

The mayor said if former President Lee Myung-bak and President Park had continued the sunshine policy, he would have met the leader of the reclusive state by now. ''It would be an enormous thing for me to meet Kim Jong-un on a regular basis. But it is unfortunate that the North Korea policies have been altered from a political viewpoint.''

Park said the Seoul Metropolitan Government has an inter-Korean cooperation fund, stressing that he wants to spend the money to organize friendly football matches and music concerts in Pyongyang. ''We would like to hold many cultural events in the North Korean capital. But we cannot do so without approval from the central government.''

The Seoul mayor has been touted as a potential presidential candidate from the liberal camp, following his successful re-election in the June 4 local elections. Mayor Park has often clashed with the Park administration over a wide range of policies, particularly welfare-related issues.

Prior to the roundtable discussion, the mayor met with Berlin Governing Mayor Klaus Wowereit to sign a memorandum of understanding to boost bilateral exchanges on the areas of culture and tourism. The two cities have agreed to encourage citizens to visit each other's city and increase exchanges in fashion, movie and other culture-related industries.

The mayor returned home Thursday afternoon after completing his five-day European tour. Before Berlin, he visited Denmark's capital Copenhagen.


박원순 "햇볕정책 지속했다면 김정은 만났을 것"

前 베를린시장과 통일 좌담회…베를린과 문화관광 협약

박원순 서울시장이 현 정부의 대북정책을 비판하며 급작스러운 통일에 대비하기 위해 북한의 수도인 평양에 대한 연구와 문화교류가 필요하다는 입장을 밝혔다.

박 시장은 13일(현지시간) 독일 베를린장벽기념관에서 발터 몸퍼(Walter Momper) 전 베를린시장과 통일 좌담회를 열고 '김대중 정부 시절 햇볕정책이 상당한 결실을 봤지만 다시 긴장관계로 복원됐다'고 말했다.

그는 그러면서 '김대중 정부에서 계획된 것들이 이명박, 박근혜 정부에서도 발전됐다면 서울시장인 제가 지금 김정은 위원장을 만날 수 있었을 것'이라며 '대북정책이 정파적인 입장에서 바뀌어 굉장히 안타깝다'고 덧붙였다.

몸퍼 전 시장은 '독일도 통일에 대해 감히 생각하지 못했지만 1989년 5월부터 동독 주민들이 탈출하면 돌려보내지 않게 되면서 매일 2천∼3천명이 탈출해 변화가 감지됐다'고 말했다.

그는 '당시 베를린시장은 매년 2회 동독을 방문해 당 서기장과 만나 상하수도 연결 문제 등 실무적 협상을 했다'며 '그런 지속적인 협상을 통해 동독과 서독의 의견이 일치하는 부분에서 함께할 수 있었다'고 조언했다.

이에 박 시장은 '서울시장으로서 김정은 위원장을 정기적으로 만날 수 있다면 어마어마한 것'이라며 '서울에도 남북교류협력기금이 있으니 평양의 도시계획 등에 대해 연구하고 경평전과 서울시향 공연 등을 추진할 수 있는데 중앙정부 허락 없이는 접촉할 권한이 없다'고 답했다.

박 시장은 좌담회에 앞서 클라우스 보베라이트(Klaus Wowereit) 독일 베를린시장과 만나 문화관광 분야 교류를 위한 업무협약(MOU)도 체결했다.

이번 합의서는 조순 시장 시절인 1997년 행정·통일·경제 분야 교류를 약속한 MOU를 17년 만에 갱신한 것이다.

양 도시는 공동 관광상품 개발, 국제회의 전시회와 패션·영화 등 문화산업 분야 교류, 공무원 간 시설 방문과 연수 등을 활발히 할 것을 약속했다.

박 시장은 베를린과의 MOU 체결을 끝으로 민선 6기 첫 순방인 3박 5일간의 유럽 방문을 마치고 이날 오후 귀국한다. (연합뉴스)
Emailleehs@koreatimes.co.kr Article ListMore articles by this reporter
 
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