By Kang Hyun-kyung
A foreign ministry official returned to Seoul last week after winding up a trip to Myanmar to establish a deputy minister-level policy channel, signaling South Korea is stepping up diplomatic efforts to strengthen ties with the resource-rich country.
During the three-day trip, the official had a meeting with his Myanmar counterpart to discuss details of setting up the high-level policy consultation meeting on a regular basis.
The talks came nearly a month after President Thein Sein of Myanmar vowed to sever military ties with North Korea during talks with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Dec. 1 during her trip to the Southeast Asian country.
Josh Kurlantzick, a fellow for Southeast Asia of Washington-based think tank Council on Foreign Relations, told The Korea Times Tuesday that South Korea can benefit from ties with Myanmar not only in trade but also in security.
“Clearly, South Korea has a lot to gain,” he said. “Myanmar is an important source of information on North Korea and the South Korean government, along with the United States, needs to push the reformist Myanmar government to reveal what their relationship with North Korea has entailed, including missiles, nuclear issues, possible currency fraud and drugs.”
Kurlantzick called on South Korea to try to gain insight into North Korea’s illicit activities through released political prisoners in Myanmar. “South Korea would want to speak with many of the Myanmar military intelligence men who are being released from prison and have a lot to say about North Korea.”
Since taking office in April last year, President Sein has released hundreds of political prisoners, declared cease-fires with ethnic groups and launched political reform.
These efforts have led the international community, including South Korea and the United States, to respond positively to the new government there.
In December, the government announced it would resume a loans program to the resources-rich nation.
It had suspended the programs since 2005 due to human rights abuse.
During talks held in Seoul in December, cabinet ministers of the two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation in exploring natural resources in Myanmar.
Nearly 100 South Korean firms are operating in the Southeast Asian country. Bilateral trade hit nearly $600 million in 2011. The trade volume is a lot smaller than that of Indonesia or Vietnam, but industry experts are optimistic that it will surge in the near future as the country has a great deal of potential.
Hopes are high that sanctions imposed on Myanmar will be lifted soon, after Clinton visited the country last year for the first time in 56 years after John Foster Dulles visited the country in 1955.
On Jan. 13, Clinton said the United States was ready to start the process of exchanging ambassadors with Myanmar.
Some international investors view the country, endowed with oil, natural gas and other natural resources, as the next Vietnam. They are flocking to the Southeast Asian country to see business opportunities there.
But some are cautious about the prospects, saying the long-isolated country has little infrastructure for growth and therefore this will make it difficult for the economy to take off in the near future.
South Korea-Myanmar ties are expected to deal a blow to North Korea as it will suffer dwindling earnings from its illicit transactions with the Southeast Asian nation.
Myanmar is one of a few North Korean allies and the North has reportedly earned hard cash through the illicit trading of arms.
In 2008, a local media outlet, The Irrawaddy, reported specifics of North Korea-Myanmar military cooperation.
According to the media, a military delegation led by Gen. Shwe Mann, flew secretly to North Korea in November 2008 and met chief of the army Gen. Kim Kyok-sik.
“The two sides agreed to terms of cooperation on several military initiatives, including radar and jamming units, air defense systems and a computer-controlled command center,” it said.
“The delegation also visited North Korean SCUD missile factories which are located underground. The two countries signed an agreement under which North Korea will help in the construction of military facilities for missiles, aircraft and warships.”
Analysts say Myanmar will face increasing pressure from the international community to cut ties with North Korea or make them transparent as the nation tries to attract more foreign investment.