ED June 15 summit anniversary

President should not rush dialogue with North Korea

It has been 17 years since the first inter-Korean summit between the leaders of the two Koreas.

In 2000, former President Kim Dae-jung and his counterpart Kim Jong-il, the father of the incumbent leader Kim Jong-un, adopted the June 15 Joint Declaration as the main outcome of the summit. The inter-Korean accord paved the way for active economic and human exchanges between the two Koreas. However, Kim Jong-il died in 2011 without having reciprocated a visit to Seoul as mentioned in the historic declaration and inter-Korean relations have been perpetually tense since his son took power.

The young dictator’s North Korea is different from that of his father. The country has conducted repeated military provocations, displaying improvements in its nuclear and missile capabilities. North Korea’s state media has hinted that it is in the final stages of developing an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of hitting New York.

Given these circumstances, President Moon Jae-in’s policy direction for resuming dialogue and exchanges with North Korea is premature and detached from reality. His latest proposal for talks with North Korea came during an event to mark the 17th anniversary of the June 15 Joint Declaration organized by the Kim Dae Jung Peace Center. It was the first time in 11 years for an incumbent president to take part in the event. The last president to attend was the late Roh Moo-hyun in 2006. Therefore, Moon’s presence shows his determination to honor the spirit of the declaration, which is considered a considerable shift from the positions of the past two conservative administrations.

The President said he will “succeed and develop” the policy of reconciliation and cooperation of Kim Dae-jung and the policy for peace and prosperity of Roh Moo-hyun “in accordance with the current situation.” He also said it is necessary to legalize past inter-Korean pacts.

It is important to carry out inter-Korean accords regardless of change in government. But Moon should not aim to achieve a significant improvement in inter-Korean relations during his term by rushing a dialogue with North Korea or even another inter-Korean summit. Moon’s been appointing officials related to unification and national security affairs who had been involved in the previous inter-Korean summits.

Moon said he will pursue “unconditional talks” with North Korea if it stops additional nuclear and missile provocations. The Moon administration has also shown some eagerness to reopen the inter-Korean industrial complex in Gaeseong. These are not at all consistent with the focus on strong pressure and sanctions of the U.S. to curb North Korea’s military provocations.

Moon’s North Korea policy must be based on reality and carried out in step with the U.S. and the international community.