Seoul seeks big, sustainable projects with North Korea

By Kang Seung-woo

Amid the unprecedented reconciliatory cross-border atmosphere, the Seoul Metropolitan Government is trying to take advantage of the rare opportunity to pursue sustainable projects with North Korea that would encourage more active cooperation and exchanges.

Hwang Bang-yeoul, director general of the Inter-Korean Cooperation Bureau at the Seoul Metropolitan Government, speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at his office, Jan. 30. / Korea Times photo by Kang Seung-woo

To this end, the local government beefed up its unit dealing with North Korean affairs last year, with the Inter-Korean Cooperation Bureau being launched in November.

“In order to increase exchanges with the North, Seoul City expanded the organization twice last year in August and November. Its duties include economic cooperation with the North as well as low-level cooperation such as humanitarian assistance,” Hwang Bang-yeoul, the bureau's director general, said in an interview with The Korea Times last week.

The 25-member body is comprised of two parts ― the Inter-Korean Cooperation Division and the Development Cooperation Division.

According to Hwang, his organization has set its sights on pushing forward three large-scale projects that could help maintain ties with the North over the long term.

“Given that three inter-Korean summits took place last year alone, we cannot rest on one-off events between the two countries anymore,” he said.

“In this regard, the city government is pursuing sustainable projects with the North and its primary goal is to co-host the 2032 Summer Olympics with Pyongyang.”

The joint hosting plan came from the inter-Korean summit between President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Sept. 19, when they agreed to boost bilateral exchanges.

The Korean Sport and Olympic Committee is scheduled to pick the nation's bid city for the 2032 Olympics, Monday. The capital is vying with the southeastern port city of Busan.

“If Seoul is honored with the right for an Olympic bid, it will prepare to get Seoul and Pyongyang working together, which I believe could pave the way for the two cities to build a bridge for sustainable bilateral exchanges,” the director general said.

The bureau's second goal is cooperation with the North on improving the water quality of the Taedong River that runs through Pyongyang ― a concern expressed by the North Korean leader to Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon on the sidelines of the inter-Korean summit in September. Park told him Seoul could cooperate to address the problem.

“Such a large-scale project can only proceed with the easing of the international community's economic sanctions on North Korea. However, there is something that can be done at this stage without violating sanctions if they are willing,” he said.

His “something” includes the city government officials conducting on-site inspection of the river or the North Korean side coming to the South to visit Seoul's water treatment facilities.

“We are preparing ourselves, doing relevant work in a bottom-up approach in the event of a change in sanctions on the North,” Hwang said.

He added that Seoul City is striving to hold a forum for city-level cooperation with Pyongyang in the second half of the year, which he expects could lead to the two sides discussing various issues.

Meanwhile, Seoul's aggressive efforts directed toward North Korea are leading growing whispers that the mayor is piggybacking on the inter-Korean thaw for a presidential bid in 2022. Park, now serving his third mayoral term, is a presidential hopeful from the ruling side.

However, Hwang negated the speculation, saying Seoul is not the only local government to crank up such a campaign.

“To varying degrees of scale, every local government has its own unit dealing with North Korean affairs. It is quite understandable that local governments seek to concentrate their efforts on inter-Korean exchanges and cooperation in a divided country,” he said.

“If some say the Seoul mayor is taking advantage of inter-Korean projects for his political goals, they also have to say every local government head is doing the same.”