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Sun, March 26, 2023 | 03:12
NK may offer regrets over Cheonan
정부 "北, 천안함 책임있는 조치 있어야 5·24 해제"
Posted : 2015-08-27 17:27
Updated : 2015-08-27 21:43
Yi Whan-woo
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North's apology key to lifting May 24 Sanctions

By Yi Whan-woo

Pyongyang may accept Seoul's demands to apologize over its sinking of the naval frigate Cheonan in March 2010 amid optimism for a thaw in inter-Korean ties, observers said Thursday.

However, they were divided over to what extent and when North Korea will offer an apology, which Cheong Wa Dae has claimed is a prerequisite for South Korea to lift its May 24 Sanctions.

Imposed on May 24, 2010, these are a set of measures that ban any trading activities between the two Koreas, except for the Gaeseong Industrial Complex (GIC), in retaliation for Pyongyang's deadly torpedo attack against the Cheonan.

The cash-strapped regime has refused to apologize and instead asked the Park Geun-hye government to scrap the economic sanctions.

"North Korea is geared toward facilitating rising momentum for inter-Korean exchanges created by the Seoul-Pyongyang agreement," said An Chan-il, head of the World Institute for North Korea Studies. "It's likely to apologize over its attack on the Cheonan."

An said that the two Koreas agreed to improve their frayed ties and to hold multifaceted dialogue as well as negotiations on various issues in their six-point accord, Tuesday.

Kim Heung-kwang, the chief of North Korea Intellectuals Solidarity, echoed his view, although he said it remains to be seen when Pyongyang will make an apology.

He also said that the North will avoid using the word, "apology" as seen from its past resolutions of military conflicts with the South.

"I don't think North Korea will apologize within a month or two considering it showed regrets, Tuesday, over the landmine explosions in the demilitarized zone (DMZ)," Kim said. "Offering a second apology so soon will make its Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un look incompetent in diplomacy."

The agreement Tuesday was primarily aimed at ending the military standoff at the DMZ in the wake of North Korea's landmine attack on Aug. 4, which maimed two South Korean soldiers. The incident triggered Seoul to resume loudspeaker broadcasting against Pyongyang for the first time since 2004 and an exchange of artillery fire occurred as a consequence.

The second point of the accord, Tuesday, states that "Pyongyang expressed regret over South Korean soldiers being wounded in recent mine explosions that occurred in the southern side of the DMZ."

"It's possible that the isolationist state will gradually and informally offer regrets over the Cheonan attack when various inter-Korean exchanges take place in the future, such as reunions of separated families," Kim noted

Under the fifth point, the two Koreas agreed to hold reunions of families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War on the occasion of the Chuseok holiday, which falls over four days until Sept. 29 this year.

Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies, speculated that Pyongyang could issue a statement of regret late this year depending on how inter-Korean ties develop.

"North Korea expressed regrets this time because it was desperate to end the loudspeaker broadcasting which it has considered as an insult to its authoritative system," he said. "It will wait and see if Seoul is willing to boost inter-Korean economic exchanges. It will then show regret over the Cheonan attack."

Park Won-gon, an international relations professor at Handong University, ruled out any possibility that North Korea will apologize.

"The United Nations' existing economic sanctions against Pyongyang will still make it difficult for South Korea to engage in inter-Korean economic activities even if it lifts the May 24 measures," he said. "Pyongyang knows this and therefore has no reason to apologize."

Meanwhile, National Security Advisor Kim Kwan-jin said Thursday that the government's stance over lifting the sanctions "remains unchanged." He was one of four Seoul and Pyongyang officials who struck the deal Tuesday.

The three others were Unification Minister Hong Yong-pyo, North Korea's No. 2 man Hwang Pyong-so and its point-man on inter-Korean affairs, Kim Yang-gon.


정부 "北, 천안함 책임있는 조치 있어야 5·24 해제"

남북회담 체계화 작업 착수…'회담 준비·검토'
'회담·민간교류 동시다발적으로 다방면에서 전개될 것'

정부가 26일 5·24 대북제재 조치 해제와 관련 천안함 피격사건에 대한 북측의 '책임 있는 조치'가 있어야 해제가 가능하다는 입장을 재확인했다.

통일부는 이날 향후 남북회담에서 5·24 조치가 다뤄질 것이라는 언론 보도에 대해 '천안함 폭침 관련 북한의 책임 있는 조치가 있어야 5·24 조치를 해제할 수 있다는 정부 입장에는 변함이 없다'고 밝혔다.

앞서 정준희 통일부 대변인은 이날 정례브리핑에서 '5·24 문제와 관련해서는 당국 간 회담이 열리고 그 밑에 하부의 여러 가지 회담들이 제기되면 5·24 문제에 관심이 있는 북쪽이 제기할 사항으로 생각된다'며 '그러면 그때 가서 충분히 대화로써 다뤄질 수 있는 문제라고 생각한다'고 말했다.

그는 5·24 조치 해제와 연계된 천안함 피격사건에 대한 북측의 사과 혹은 유감 표명에 대해서도 '추가적인 회담에서 다뤄질 사항이기 때문에 (지금) 얘기하는 것이 적절치 않다'고 밝혔다.

정부가 언급한 '책임 있는 조치'는 2010년 3월 26일 발생한 천안함 피격사건에 대한 북측의 사과 혹은 유감 표명, 재발방지 약속, 책임자 처벌 등을 의미하는 것으로 풀이된다.

정 대변인은 '앞으로 당국회담은 언제, 어떤 급으로 진행되느냐'는 질문에 '미래 관련된 사항은 지금 현재 준비 중이고, 검토 중이기 때문에 자세히 얘기할 수 없다'고 밝혔다.

이와 관련, 정부는 남북이 판문점 고위급 접촉에서 공감한 당국 회담의 정례화와 관련, 남북 회담의 체계를 설계하는 작업에 들어간 것으로 전해졌다.

노무현 정부 때까지는 총리급 회담 밑으로 통일부와 국방부 등의 장관급 회담과 차관급 남북경제협력추진위원회가 진행되는 등 남북 회담 체계가 가동됐지만, 2008년 이명박 정부 출범 이후로는 남북관계가 경색되면서 회담 체계가 무너졌다.

정 대변인은 '(현 정부의 대북정책 기조인) 한반도 신뢰 프로세스가 향후 어떻게 전개될 것이냐는 (남북고위급접촉) 공동보도문이 기준이 된다'며 '당국 간 회담, 적십자 실무접촉, 민간교류 활성화 등이 그것을 말해주고 있다'고 밝혔다.

이어 '앞으로 전개될 상황에 대해 일일이 예단할 수 없지만 기본적으로 (회담과 민간교류가) 동시다발적으로 다방면에서 전개될 것이고 정부는 일관된 한반도 신뢰 프로세스에 따라 대응할 것'이라고 강조했다.

정 대변인은 북측의 지뢰도발 유감 표명이 미흡하다는 지적에 대해서는 '국제적으로 통용되는 관례에 따라서 당연히 그렇게 표현이 들어간 것'이라며 '그것은 당연히 국제적으로 사과로도 인정받고 있다'고 말했다.

그는 북한 황병서 군 총정치국장이 전날 조선중앙TV에서 지뢰도발과 관련 '근거 없는 사건'이라는 취지로 언급한 것에 대해 '황병서 총정치국장의 발언에 대해 우리가 구구절절이 얘기하지는 않겠다'며 '합의문에 나와 있는 것이 정답이다. 앞으로 북한이 이 합의사항을 잘 이행하리라 기대한다'고 밝혔다.

정 대변인은 개성공단 출입경과 관련 '비상시에는 개성공단 인력을 최소한으로 유지하는 것이 정부의 방침'이라며 '지금은 정상화됐기 때문에 26일부터는 정상적으로 인력이 다시 출입경하고 있다'고 전했다. (연합뉴스)
Emailyistory@ktimes.com Article ListMore articles by this reporter
 
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