Seoul strives to resuscitate inter-Korean peace momentum
President Moon Jae-in salutes during a ceremony to mark the 73rd Armed Forces Day in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, Friday. Yonhap
Critics concerned about Seoul staying mum on Pyongyang's provocations
By Nam Hyun-woo
South Korea is striving to resuscitate peace momentum on the Korean Peninsula, releasing a series of messages directed toward the North, which, in turn, has also shown some signs recently of a reconciliatory attitude.
However, some criticism has been raised that Seoul is turning a blind eye to Pyongyang's repeated military activities, while casting a rosy outlook on the possibility of inter-Korean talks. Meanwhile, the Kim Jong-un regime has been sending confusing signals through a contradictory combination of missile launches and conciliatory speeches.
During a ceremony to mark the 73rd Armed Forces Day, Friday, President Moon Jae-in stressed the fact that the military's strong defense capability and readiness will enable permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula, and that his trust in the military helped him propose a declaration to ending the Korean War to North Korea at the United Nations last month.
“I have pride in our solid security posture. I have proposed adopting an end-of-war declaration, opening a new era of conciliation and cooperation, to the international community based on such trust and pride,” Moon said.
Moon's speech came just hours after North Korea announced that it had again launched what it claimed to be an anti-aircraft missile a day earlier. It was Pyongyang's fourth round of missile launches in September, which came along with statements that it may reopen stalled communication channels with Seoul.
This photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency, Friday, shows what North Korea claims to be the test-firing of a newly developed anti-aircraft missile in the country the previous day. Yonhap
In its statements, the North demanded that the South “scrap its double standard” as one of its preconditions for talks on the end-of-war declaration. “Scrapping its double standard” refers to Seoul acknowledging Pyongyang's missile program as part of its “right to test weapons.”
Since the statements, Moon has not used the term “provocation” to describe North Korea's missile launches, with the government mostly taking a neutral stance on the tests, while reaching out to the U.S. to join the end-of-war declaration.
After meeting with U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Sung Kim in Jakarta, Seoul's top nuclear envoy, Noh Kyu-duk, said Friday, “I explained to the U.S. the South Korean government's stance on the end-of-war declaration, which would be the most effective measure in building trust with the North.”
Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong went further, urging the U.S. to consider sanctions relief for North Korea. During a National Assembly session last Friday, Chung said that it is time to consider relieving sanctions on North Korea as a preemptive measure to bring North Korea to talks.
Chung also said in an interview with the Washington Post, published on Thursday, that the U.S. should offer North Korea specific incentives, despite the U.S.'s stance that it is open to dialogue without preconditions.
Along with Moon, Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum has floated peace messages toward North Korea, regarding the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) suspension of North Korea from participating in the Beijing Winter Olympics next year.
During an interview with Nikkei Asia, the prime minister said he hopes for “the IOC to generously consider giving North Korea a chance to join the international community again,” and that “ranking officials of South and North Korea can meet at the Beijing Games” if the IOC lifts the suspension.
Earlier last month, the IOC suspended North Korea's entry into the Beijing Games, producing a huge disappointment for the Moon administration, which has been seeking to use international sporting events as a vehicle for facilitating talks with the North.
As the Moon administration strengthens its outreach to the North despite its provocations, criticism is rising that South Korea may fail to protest North Korea's missile launches in the future.
“North Korea is now going beyond its conventional playbook and making provocations and a conciliatory approach simultaneously,” said Rep. Tae Yong-ho of the conservative main opposition People Power Party, who is also a former North Korean diplomat. “This is a pressure on South Korea to keep tightlipped, while North Korea will expand its nuclear and missile programs.”
The U.S. Department of State also seemed not in agreement with Foreign Minister Chung's call for sanctions relief on Pyongyang, instead issuing a comment that the U.S. and South Korea should stick with “unified” messages toward the North.
“The DPRK (North Korea) continues to fund its WMD (weapons of mass destruction) and ballistic missile programs through sanctions evasion efforts in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions,” a Department of State official told Voice of America regarding Chung's comments.
“It is important for the international community to send a strong, unified message that the DPRK must halt provocations, abide by its obligations under U.N. Security Council resolutions and engage in sustained and intensive negotiations with the United States.”