Koreas Can Set Peace Zone
By Kim Sue-young
Staff Reporter
Rep. Lee Hwa-young of the pro-government Uri Party has refuted suspicions regarding political maneuvering over the inter-Korean summit slated for Aug. 28-30 in Pyongyang.
Politicians here, especially from the main opposition Grand National Party (GNP), have remained suspicious as to the timing of the summit talks because the decision was made out of the blue, just four months before the Dec. 19 presidential election.
``On reflection, the GNP has opposed an inter-Korean summit, insisting the incumbent government would use it to win the elections,'' Lee, 44, said in an interview with The Korea Times Tuesday. ``It claimed that the second summit is for the presidential election. Then when should we hold the meeting?''
He stressed that now is the appropriate time due to two-way talks between top U.S. nuclear envoy Christopher Hill and his North Korean counterpart Kim Gye-gwan and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit next month.
The two-way meeting is expected to encourage peaceful measures of reconciliation between the two Koreas, he said.
``This issue is more important than the presidential race,'' the Uri lawmaker said. ``If some conservative forces are worried about the possible influence on the race, they had better insist on postponing the election.''
Lee said presidential hopefuls who are trying to succeed to the engagement policy toward North Korea may have an advantage over hard-liners because people have higher expectations of them.
Yet, this sequence is just the fruit of their efforts, he said.
Lee, who is known as a loyalist to President Roh Moo-hyun, denied rumors that North Korean leader Kim Jong-il can make a return visit to Jeju Island in the South by October.
``We tend to stretch the meaning of North Korean issues and have lots of opposition,'' he said. ``If Kim visits the South, we should pour lots of energy for his security due to serious conflicts between conservatives and progressives.''
Instead, Kim could make reciprocal visits more freely, if Roh proposes to have an inter-Korean summit on a regular basis.
``I hope Kim will be invited to the APEC meeting in Australia for further discussions but it is impossible because he is reluctant to fly,'' he said. ``But Beijing in China is the perfect place to invite him due to the distance and security matter.''
China will also support the probable Beijing meeting to publicize itself as a peaceful city ahead of the Beijing Summer Olympics in August next year, he added.
As for the agenda of the inter-Korean summit, Lee predicted large-scale economic co-operation, which will bring benefits to both sides would be on the table.
He suggested the scooping up of sand worth approximately 30 trillion won ($31.8 billion) beneath the Imjin and Han Rivers for the use of constructing buildings.
The amount of accumulated sand is about three billion tons, which the two Koreas can use for 30 years, Lee said. ``The South's government can build roads and buildings in the North with the gains from the sand.''
Dredging the sand will deepen the two rivers, which naturally produce canals to connect the two Koreas and marine parks around the rivers ultimately, he said.
``Then, we can have natural canals and parks which can help logistics service and people around the world can enjoy,'' the lawmaker added.
Lee, however, stressed that aid and economic cooperation, in any kind of form, to the Stalinist North is not a burden for the South only.
``Unlike the first summit in 2000, the second meeting is affected by other nations and the six-party talks,'' he said. ``Besides, neighboring nations including the U.S., Japan and China, tend to take softened stance toward the North.''
To prevent possible conflicts related to the Northern Limit Line (NLL) in the West Sea, Lee proposed to set the area as a peaceful region and a joint fishery zone.
Since the Armistice Agreement of the Korean War in 1953, the NLL drawn by the United Nations Command has been a constant source of conflict between the North and South navies.
``After the second summit meeting is held, people and businesses here would face a lot of changes,'' Lee said. ``I think they need to understand the meaning of this summit not only focusing on shortsighted views like costs for aid and cooperation.''