New initiative with EU in dealing with N. Korea

By Park Jin-ho

The U.N. Security Council (UNSC) adopted a new resolution, 2094, to impose additional and tougher sanctions on North Korea in response to its third nuclear test. North Korea continuously heightens its level of provocative action and rhetoric to the international community, such as the unilateral announcement of nullifying the Armistice Agreement that ended the Korean War in 1953. Over the past month, the South Korean government has not seemed to have taken any noticeable response beyond ignoring North Korea’s surprising and irrational decisions.

In response to the failed deterrence policy, we have to strengthen our existing measures. However, it should be remembered that such responses must be reviewed during North Korea’s “decision-making” process. Thus, while managing an escalation of diplomatic tension, we should not lose the chance given for exploring a new opportunity to make a surprising ― out of the box ― response to North Korea, which could be a core tactic of gaining an opportunity during a crisis.

Without agreeing to a peace treaty, the successful maintenance of the armistice is the most fundamental mission to achieve for peace on the Korean Peninsula. Among many factors included in the Armistice Agreement to manage cease-fire conditions, it should be noted that it established the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission (NNSC) composed of Sweden and Switzerland appointed by the United Nations Command and Poland and Czechoslovakia by North Korea and China. The mission of the NNSC is defined in the Armistice Agreement as follows: “To carry out the function of supervision, observation, inspection, and investigation and to report the results of such supervision, observation, inspection and investigation to the Military Armistice Commission.”

Now, in the South only, Sweden and Switzerland fulfill limited missions which are significantly reduced from their authority originally defined in the Armistice Agreement. In the North, no authorized NNSC member has worked since North Korea forced out the Czech office in 1993 and the Polish office in 1995 respectively. In the South, the NNSC retains a very limited role, supplemental to that of the United Nations Command (UNC) which is the highest authority to supervise and manage the armistice on the Korean Peninsula. Putting aside this situation, it is very ironic that there is no serious discussion over the role and mission of the NNSC in exploring strategic means and ways to deter and respond to North Korea’s provocative actions.

Recalling the role and mission of the NNSC is of strategic significance at a critical time when North Korea has nullified the Armistice Agreement. It also pertains to respecting the Armistice Agreement. On the other hand, taking a new initiative could contribute to diffusing North Korea’s concentration of strategic energy and at the same time produce a new international effort concerning North Korea’s diplomatic provocations. In addition, we can discuss this issue at the UNSC in that the UNC is a signatory to the Armistice Agreement. The UNC is a unified command structure determined by UNSC Resolution 84 in July 1950 for repelling North Korea’s armed attacks.

As the European Union (EU) seriously discusses its own sanctions on North Korea, a strategic attempt to re-define the responsibilities of the NNSC would give a new context to discuss North Korean issues within the EU as the remaining NNSC members are European countries. In the case of Sweden, the Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang represents U.S. interests in the North. As North Korea retains its diplomatic relations with most of the former Warsaw Pact countries, it maintains official diplomatic relations with all EU countries besides France and Estonia. Recalling President Park Geun-hye’s visit to Pyongyang in 2002 facilitated by the Korea-Europe Foundation, the EU could provide an alternative and solid communication channel for South Korea to the North Korean leadership.

As an effort to strengthen an indirect strategy through China’s leadership to resolve North Korean issues, the EU is able to play an indirect role in changing Beijing’s policy toward Pyongyang. Korea became a strategic partner of the EU after the implementation of the Korea-EU free trade agreement in 2011. The EU has established extensive cooperation with China. An EU-China comprehensive strategic partnership was launched in 2003. Now, the EU is the largest trading partner of China. The high-level dialogue between the EU and China includes people-to-people, economic and trade exchanges, and strategic issues. As well stressed in U.S. President Barack Obama’s recent State of the Union address, the United States has put a great strategic importance on a U.S.-EU free trade agreement. Since negotiation with North Korea is a global issue, the Park Geun-hye administration should make a global and multi-directional effort in addition to the Korea-U.S. alliance.

It is the right time to change the strategic game with North Korea in a way in which we can gain a strategic initiative as a game changer. As our decision is much influenced by the environment facing us, we should not lose the chance to change the environment to explore a new opportunity for attaining our strategic purpose.

Park Jin-ho is a legislative assistant to Rep. Hwang Jin-ha of the ruling Saenuri Party and a non-resident fellow of Korea Defense & Security Forum (KODEF).