N. Korean Nukes Stall Inter-Korean Relations
By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter
Seven years after the historic inter-Korean summit, which aroused expectations for a rosy future of a reunified Korea, skepticism is running high about the cross-border relations shackled by North Korea’s nuclear weapons activity.
In contrast to increasing inter-Korean exchanges in the private sector, North Korea watchers say, the two Koreas’ political and military relations are still in a stalemate and cannot go forward without resolving the long-standing deadlock with the North’s nuclear weapons program.
``The inter-Korean relations have been improving slowly but surely since the 2000 summit, particularly in terms of civil and business exchanges,’’ Kim Soo-min, a professor of North Korean studies at Sun Moon University in South Chungcheong Province, told The Korea Times.
``Regrettably, however, the North has not been so sincere in efforts to develop relations with the South. I’m not sure, but for some reasons North Korea has turned more lukewarm toward South Korea’s engagement policy during the Roh Moo-hyun government.’’
The landmark summit between then former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il in Pyongyang set the stage for government-level dialogues and cooperation. The two leaders issued a joint declaration at the end of the summit, on June 15, calling for efforts toward the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and active cross-border business cooperation.
The Mount Geumgang tourism program and the inter-Korean industrial complex in the North’s border town of Gaeseong are symbols of the June 15 declaration.
More than 1.5 million South Koreans have traveled to the scenic mountain resort in the North since 1998, according to the tourism operator, Hyundai Asan. Over 13,000 North Korean workers are working with South Korean firms in the Gaeseong economic zone.
But agreements regarding military-to-military confidence-building measures have failed to be fully implemented. A series of naval conflicts have occurred in the rich fishing grounds of the West Sea, producing scores of casualties on both sides.
Last October, the Stalinist regime conducted its first-ever underground nuclear-device test, following a series of missile test-launches in July.
``For now, Pyongyang is not likely to abandon its nuclear weapons program easily. That means a long and rough road lies ahead for genuine inter-Korean reconciliation, with the denuclearization of the peninsula corresponding to the June 15 declaration,’’ said Kim.
Due to an unrelated financial dispute over $25 million in frozen funds in a Macao bank that the North insists it gets back before denuclearization, Pyongyang has not taken the initial steps, whose deadline was April 14, to disable its main nuclear reactor and related facilities as agreed upon at the six-party talks in February.
Kim was worried about the government’s ongoing push for the second inter-Korean summit ahead of the December presidential election.
``The inter-Korean issue should not be abused politically, and I believe the second summit should be held after the nuclear problem is resolved or at least after tangible results are produced in the six-way talks,’’ Kim added.
Meanwhile, in protest of Seoul’s decision to halt rice aid to Pyongyang because of the North’s inability to take denuclearzation steps, the communist regime has cancelled events with the South to commemorate the 2000 summit.