Government's idea of 2-state coexistence with N. Korea draws dispute

Unification Minister Chung Dong-young, left, and Foreign Minister Cho Hyun attend a session of the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

The South Korean government appears to be floating the idea of officially recognizing North Korea as a sovereign state, drawing backlash from conservatives who see the move as undermining the long-standing constitutional goal of inter-Korean reunification.

The Ministry of Unification published the Lee Jae Myung administration's first white paper on unification, Monday, and it stipulated that inter-Korean relations should shift into “a peaceful two-state relationship oriented toward reunification.”

“The government, considering the reality that the two Koreas effectively exist as two separate states, seeks to develop inter-Korean relations into one of peaceful coexistence while still pursuing reunification,” the white paper read.

The document drew immediate dispute after its release. Conservatives argued it conflicts with Article 3 of the Constitution, which defines South Korea's territory as the entire Korean Peninsula and its adjacent islands, affirming Seoul's claim to legitimate sovereignty over the whole peninsula with reunification as a guiding objective.

The timing added to the controversy as North Korea recently defined the two Koreas as "hostile separate states."

A unification ministry official clarified that the concept is merely one of several ideas currently under review within the ministry and it should not be regarded as the government’s definitive stance.

“The concept absolutely does not mean recognizing North Korea as a legal state,” the official said. “Rather, policy approach is based on acknowledging North Korea’s political entity and state-like characteristics.”

The official also explained that the idea reflects the position of previous administrations, which recognized each Korea’s international legal status through their simultaneous accession to the United Nations in 1991.

Critics, nevertheless, haven been arguing that the government is moving toward the de facto recognition of North Korea as a sovereign state.

Asking not to be named, a political analyst said Unification Minister Chung Dong-young has been “speaking for North Korea, not South Korea” after he took office.

“I highly doubt the white paper is part of a broader plan of advocating North Korea’s tyrannical regime,” he said.

He pointed out Chung has sought to change the designation of North Korean escapees in South Korea from the current “North Korean defectors” to another word such as “North Korean-born citizens.”

The proposed change in word drew backlash from defector groups who argued it erases their identity as refugees fleeing tyranny.

On his Facebook post, main opposition People Power Party (PPP) leader Jang Dong-hyeok said, “The government’s white paper that denies unification is a clear violation of the Constitution.”

He even accused the president of “trampling on the Constitution, undermining national security, and even abandoning peaceful unification.”

The president did not comment on the white paper, while outlining his administration’s vision of “building a peaceful Korean Peninsula — one where there is no need to fight” during a summit with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Tuesday.

PPP chief spokesperson Choi Bo-yoon accused the government of voluntarily aligning itself with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s “anti-unification” stance.

“It directly conflicts with Article 3 of the Constitution, which defines the country's territory, and Article 4, which mandates the establishment of a peaceful unification policy,” Choi said.