Summit Delay Disappoints Southerners
By Kang Shin-who, Sa Eun-young
Staff Reporters
People showed mixed reactions to the postponement of an inter-Korean summit, which was originally scheduled for Aug. 28-30, due to severe flooding in the North. The summit has been put off to Oct. 2-4.
They believed there is no choice for North Korea to delay the summit due to heavy damage from the flooding but many also claimed it a strategic delay by the North.
``It's regretful that the summit was delayed, but it seems inevitable due to the flood damage. I don't think North Korea has other intentions behind canceling the summit,'' said Park Jeong-eun, an activist of the People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy.
``Other countries including the United States as well as South Korea are trying to help North Korea recover from the natural disaster. I hope our citizens also raise a lot of money so that we can raise a reconciliatory mood before the leaders meet,'' Park added.
Some are even worried that the delay may lead to the cancellation of the summit.
``We have waited almost seven years for the summit so I am worried that it could be completely canceled," Lee Su-bum, an office worker in Seoul, said. ``As I believe there is no other intention behind the delay, we can make it happen in October.''
Regardless of the delay, many non-government organizations plan to lend a helping hand.
Medical relief organization Spiritual Awakening Mission (SAM) will give 10,000 medical emergency kits to the North on Aug.24.
The aid kits provided by SAM will contain emergency medical supplies including stethoscopes, thermometers, and antibiotics as well as medicines for diarrhea and fever.
The organization decided to send medicine because ``there is a high chance of epidemics spreading in flood areas due to sanitary problems,'' a SAM official said.
Two groups, a committee in the U.S. for overseas joint affairs of the two Koreas and the Korean American National Coordinating Council, will also send the North $21,000 that was raised at a recent fund-raising event for the reunification of the two Koreas. They plan to extend fund-raising to other parts of the U.S., according to a committee official.
However, some people say that North Korea purposely delayed the summit as they found they might not achieve successful results regarding the South Korea-U.S. joint military exercise and Northern Limit Line (NLL) issues while preparing the summit.
``I think North Korea might have thought that it would be better for them to hold the summit after monitoring the six-party talks regarding its nuclear programs,'' said Kim Yong-hyun, a North Korea studies professor at Dongguk University.
Some political experts also noted that the delayed meeting would work better for pro-government candidates in the Dec. 19 presidential election as the summit will be very near to the election.