Ministers visit reminder of defense ties
By Kim Se-jeong
Swedish Defense Minister Sten Tolgfors’ visit to South Korea last week was a reminder of the two countries’ surprisingly close defense relations.
During his three-day visit, Tolgfors met with his Korean counterpart Kim Kwan-jin, among others. He also went to Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, to see the remains of the Cheonan, a Korean naval frigate sunk by a North Korean torpedo, and visited Panmunjeom on the border with North Korea.
The minister had one strong point to make about the Cheonan.
“It was an independent authority, the Swedish Accident Investigation Authority, which specializes in analyzing plane crashes or the sinking of vessels, and finding out what went wrong,” he said, attempting to convince skeptics that Sweden’s reluctance to blame North Korea for the attack was based only on technical analysis.
Sweden sent four technical experts for the Cheonan investigation, which was attacked and sank, costing the lives of 46 young soldiers.
The investigation was threefold: a technical analysis in which the Swedish experts participated; an evidence-based analysis where Swedes also examined what was found on the seabed; and an intelligence-based analysis, which was carried out by only Korea and the United States.
Sweden was thrust into the controversy, as a CBS journalist wrote “The U.S., Britain and Australia — all of which helped in the investigation — are all prepared to back up the findings. Only Sweden, which also sent investigators, is a reluctant partner in blaming
the North Koreans.”
It planted skepticism among Koreans over the entire investigation, especially liberals, and they still doubt the findings.
When the final report was revealed, Sweden announced it would fully agree that the North was to blame.
Swedish Ambassador to Korea Lars Vargo bolstered the minister’s point.
“We have tried to explain that, but very often it’s purposefully misinterpreted by some group.”
Asked about his impression of the vessel and the whole incident, the minister answered, “When you face a tragedy like that, it’s a
humanitarian reflection that you do.”
Panmunjeom, a truce village, is another talking point.
In the wake of the Korean War (1950-1953), Swedish military officers were dispatched to the truce village as part of the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission (NNSC).
“It is by far the longest-standing mission,” Tolgfors said, and the number of Swedish officers who’ve gone through the village number more than 1,000.
Now, five resident officers together with another five from Switzerland are mandated to “carry out the function of supervision, observation, inspection, and investigation and to report the results of such supervision, observation, inspection and investigation to the Military Armistice Commission,”
Meeting officers and showing them support was one of the main purposes of his visit, the minister said, looking at one Swedish officer, a former chief of the Swedish Navy.
Tolgfors’ visit to Panmunjeom was long and somewhat private. Besides an ordinary tour to the third infiltration tunnel and Joint Security Area, he was given a closed-door briefing, and took part in a private ceremony where one officer celebrated the completion of his 20-month mission, and transferred his duty to a new officer.
Sweden also has 1,011 medical veterans from the Korean War. The medical facility later morphed into the National Medical Center.
The minister said Sweden, free from war for two centuries, is very much committed to peacekeeping missions around the world. “We are also in Libya, Kosovo and Afghanistan.”
He’s been the chief of the defense ministry for nearly four years. His previous visit to Korea was in 2007 when serving as trade minister.
As a former member of the Swedish parliament, Tolgfors has long been a member of the Sweden-Korea friendship society, heading it for several years.
He took note of the economic development Korea has made, calling it “a story of human success.” For 24 million North Koreans, he expressed sympathy, but didn’t miss a chance to mention the regime’s human rights violation.
Sweden has diplomatic relations with the north with an embassy in Pyongyang.