Ideological Dispute

Pragmatic Approach Needed to Ensure Success of Summit

Rightwing groups and conservative political parties are criticizing President Roh Moo-hyun for his plan to watch North Korea's controversial mass gymnastics performance during this week's inter-Korean summit in Pyongyang. The criticism surfaced when Unification Minister Lee Jae-joung said Sept. 20 that the government might accept North Korea's suggestion that Roh be invited to attend the ``Arirang'' festival performance on the sidelines of the summit. The presidential office said Sept. 27 that Roh has decided to attend the performance mobilizing about 100,000 North Korean children.

The decision has further infuriated rightwingers and conservatives. They claim the Arirang performance is nothing but a propaganda tool for the North Korean regime. They raise a question: How can the President watch such a display of propaganda designed to deify the late North Korea leader Kim Il-sung and praise the regime of his son, Kim Jong-il? It can be understood that their concerns are based on national security and ideological inclination against the communist North.

Apparently, the opponents are still sticking to the Cold War thinking which blinds the rapidly changing situations on the Korean Peninsula and around the world. It's time to discard a black-and-white way of thinking and narrow-minded ideological confrontations. We should open our minds and hold out our hands to North Korea and its people to embrace and respect their different values, culture and political system. This might be the first step toward national reconciliation and peace on the peninsula. We must make efforts to encourage North Koreans to change their rigid mindset and overcome the national division and conflict.

In this regard, South Koreans, whether conservative or progressive, should adopt a pragmatic attitude to get the most from the meeting between Roh and his northern counterpart Kim Jong-il. There is no doubt that the outdated Cold War thinking could be of little help to make a real breakthrough in inter-Korean relations. We have to discard our own ideological confrontation between conservatives and progressives in the South. How can we make reconciliation with North Koreans with different ideology and way of life before we overcome our own conflict?

After the summit, the presidential race will be in full swing to elect a new South Korean leader Dec. 19. Thus, the governing camp is easily tempted to use the summit meeting to woo voters, while the opposition camp is trying to block the summit from influencing the election. Rival candidates are likely to play a dirty dog-eat-dog game and stir up an ideological confrontation to rally support by dividing voters into conservatives and progressives. We urge candidates with different political affiliations to refrain from using the ideological divide for political gain.

Both ruling and opposition parties are required to join hands in helping make the second South-North summit a success. Whoever becomes the next president, Seoul will have to continue its efforts to implement the results of the summit and take further steps toward reconciliation and peace on the peninsula.