When President-elect Lee Myung-bak's attempt to do away with the Unification Ministry met considerable opposition recently, he employed some sophistry. ``From now on, not one but all ministries will deal with the unification issue,'' Lee said. Would it be too much then to say his nomination for the post Monday confirmed the widespread suspicion that the next president is little interested in furthering inter-Korean ties?
``The June 15 Joint Declaration by the two Koreas is only North Korea's operational document against the South.'' ``The sunshine policy of engaging North Korea must be reexamined from the ground up.'' These are but a few of the remarks made by Lee's nominee for the unification portfolio. Nam Joo-hong, a politics professor, has steadfastly said North Korea could ― or should, one might suspect ― crumble anytime under the economic and political problems. Called a ``Korean neocon,'' he would easily put John Bolton, the former U.S. envoy to the United Nations, to shame.
Palpable is ministry officials' embarrassment with the prospect of serving a minister who regards the peaceful unification of two Koreas as some sort of a ``romantic fantasy.'' To ensure fairness, let's examine his theory Seoul could help Pyongyang attain per capita income of $3,000 if it abandons its nuclear programs. On the surface, it appears to be a gradual, reciprocal approach.
In reality, however, there are not many things South Korea can do by itself to denuclearize and open up the Stalinist regime, as it is basically an issue between Washington and Pyongyang that should be discussed within the framework of the six-party talks. Nam's formula would neither solve inter-Korean issues nor help the six-nation negotiations much. Inter-Korean relations also involve numerous economic and humanitarian issues that cannot be dealt with from international aspects only.
Most importantly, Nam's stance does not match that of his boss, who has made it clear that peaceful reunification constitutes the backbone of his North Korean policy. President-elect Lee should be well aware of the stark reality that his professed goal of 7-percent growth and becoming seventh most advanced economy would be impossible without stability on the Korean Peninsula. This makes it all the more difficult to understand why he picked a Cold War warrior who has seemingly jumped from the 1960s and '70s for none other than the unification minister.
Some say Nam's appointment was the result of regional consideration, as he hails from the southwestern province of Jeolla, a bastion of Lee's political opponents. If this is true or not, one can't help feeling equally baffled with the importance ― or lack of it ― Lee puts on one of the longest and most ardent popular aspirations.
In short, Seoul's pursuit of peaceful unification is a duty stipulated by the Constitution. If Lee pushes ahead with his choice, it will not take long before he realizes he is shooting himself in the foot.