Denuclearization Should Go Together With Relations
By Kim Sue-young
Staff Reporter
A former foreign minister said Thursday efforts to denuclearize North Korea should run parallel with those to put inter-Korean relations back on track.
``If Seoul adheres to denuclearization and openness of the isolated state as a premise for inter-Korean economic cooperation, North Korea will compromise with the United States and that may help resolve the nuclear issue,'' said Rep. Song Min-soon of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) who served as foreign minister during the Roh Moo-hyun administration.
``In the end, that would tighten relations between the two Koreas and ties between Seoul and Washington as well,'' he said during a debate on relations between South Korea and the United States in Seoul.
Conservative President Lee Myung-bak vowed to push through his ``Vision 3000'' policy toward the North, which is designed to provide conditional economic assistance over the next 10 years with the purpose of helping boost its per capita income to $3,000.
He stressed denuclearization and openness should come prior to a comprehensive package in the five major sectors of industry, education, finance, infrastructure and welfare.
``However, the current North Korea policy goes against the reality on the Korean Peninsula and consensus of the international community,'' Song said.
As for the controversial U.S. beef imports, the former diplomat claimed it was necessary to clear up misunderstandings in a bid to mend relations with the United States.
``International society tends to consider South Koreans are against the U.S. beef itself,'' he said. ``But our citizens are complaining about the government's decision to import even some parts of cattle that major Asian countries do not permit.''
The legislator stressed the protests were mistakenly described as an example of ``anti-U.S. sentiment,'' though many people here hope for improvement in bilateral relations.
Song stressed that transparency and consistency are important to develop the alliance with the United States, calling for proceeding with the relocation of U.S. Army bases from Seoul as agreed upon between the two sides.
Under the Yongsan Relocation Plan signed between the two countries in 2004, U.S. bases in the capital are to move to Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, which would be tripled in size to accommodate more than 44,000 U.S. service members and their families.