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네이버 공유 카카오 공유 트위터 공유 페이스북 공유

2007 South-North Korea Summit Prospects for Peace-Building on the Korean Peninsula

Summary of lecture presented by President Yim Sung-joon at the Department of East Asian Studies and the Harry S.
Truman Research Institute for the Advancement of Peace (November 8).

Inter-Korean Relations
The Korean War ended with an armistice truce in 1953, but military confrontation continued between the two Koreas. However, this reached a turning point with the July 4, 1972 Joint Communique. Thereafter, in 1991, the two Koreas adopted the Basic Agreement on Reconciliation and Cooperation.



In June 2000, the first-ever inter-Korean summit was held that brought about epochal changes in their relationship. Following 55 years of national division, this summit produced the South-North Joint Declaration, whic was especially significant in reaffirming the need for the two Koreas to themselves take the initiative in resolving the problems of the Korean Peninsula. Moreover, it d a firm foundation for preventing another war and negotiating a peace regime. In addition, the two Koreas agreed to reconnect roads and railways across the demilitarized zone.
The South and North also agreed on the establishment of the Gaeseong Industrial Complex and Mt. Geumgang Special Tourism Zone, which would serve to significantly expand inter-Korean trade and people exchanges, along with agreeing to cooperate on the arrangement of additional reunion meetings between separated families.
The South-North summit of 2007 served as another occasion to accelerate North Korea’s economic reconstruction through enhanced trust of the two Koreas. Facilitating reform in North Korea without causing instability is crucial for the assurance of permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia as well as the construction of an inter-Korean economic community.

Nuclear Crisis and Six-Party Talks
North Korea, which started to acquire nuclear technology and train nuclear technicians, with the help of the former Soviet Union, in the mid-1950s, has pushed for nuclear development since the mid-1970s. The first North Korean nuclear crisis flared up in early 1990, followed by a second crisis, which emerged in 2002, with Pyongyang’s withdrawal from the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). This situation has since remained the most serious security concern of the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia.
The first crisis in early 1990 was add-ressed by the Agreed Framework, which was signed in Geneva in 1994, but a second crisis emerged in October 2002. Thereafter, the regional powers have managed to work out a peaceful, diplomatic solution to the North Korean nuclear problem through the Six-Party Talks, that resulted in the “September 19 Joint Statement” (2005), which outlined the ives and principles for denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
The September 19 Joint Statement calls for North Korea’s abandonment of its nuclear programs, Pyeongyang’s normalization of diplomatic relations with Washington and Tokyo, promotion of economic cooperation, and formation of a multilateral security framework in Northeast Asia.

Results of the 2007 Summit
At the second inter-Korean summit, held in Pyeongyang on October 2-4, 2007, President Roh Moo-hyun and Chairman Kim Jong Il signed the “Declaration on the Advancement of South-North Korean Relations, Peace and Prosperity.”
In particular, the called for efforts to: 1) Actively implement the June 15 Joint Declaration, related to the June 2000 summit. 2) Convene regular defense ministers’ talks. 3) Implement the February 13 Agreement of the Six-Party Talks and further discuss the issues of establishing a peace regime and declaring an end to the Korean War. 4) Expand and develop inter-Korean economic cooperation and designate a special zone for peace and cooperation in the West Sea. 5) Elevate the inter-Korean economic cooperation committee to the level of a deputy prime ministers’ conference and develop cooperative exchanges in social and cultural areas. 6) Enhance inter-Korean cooperation in humanitarian projects, make joint endeavors on international stages, open prime ministers’ talks in November, and hold summits as necessary.
The 2007 summit also resulted in agreement on the following points: 1) Open a new era of peace and prosperity in inter-Korean relations. 2) Provide a framework to institutionalize military trust and peace. 3) Cooperative efforts to put an end to the war and negotiate a peace structure under the initiatives of the two Koreas. 4) Establish a “Special Zone for Peace and Cooperation in West Sea” to advance peace and prosperity through a virtuous cycle. 5) Jointly develop the area from the Han River estuary to the West Sea border. 6) Accelerate the advancement of inter-Korean relations in keeping with the progress of the Six-Party Talks. 7) Initiate discussions among relevant countries to convert the armistice agreement into a peace regime. 8) President Roh crossed over the military demarcation line on foot. 9) Facilitate the construction of an “economic community.” 10) Upgrade economic cooperation to a higher level. 11) Resolve the ”three Cs” (conveyance, communication and customs) of the Gaeseong Industrial Complex and secure military guarantees for the regular operation of cross-border train service. 12) Cooperate in light industries and the shipbuilding industry along the East Sea and West Sea, and reconnection of the Gaeseong-Sinuiju Railway and Gaeseong-Pyeongyang Expressway. 13) Upgrade the South-North Economic Cooperation Promotion Committee to a deputy prime ministers’ conference. 14) Arrange an ongoing consultative framework between the two Koreas by elevating the “control tower” of inter-Korean dialogue.

Peace and Security
Peace and security have been well-maintained in Northeast Asia over the past half-century, related to which the Korea-U.S. alliance has played a key role and will continue to exert a positive influence in maintaining the stability and prosperity of the Korean Peninsula.
Establishing a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula and denuclearization of the peninsula are very closely interconnected, like the two wheels of a cart. Regional powers are seeking to attain a goal of completing North Korea’s declaration of nuclear programs and its disablement of related facilities by the end of this year. Meanwhile, progress is expected in normalizing the Washington-Pyeongyang relationship. Efforts will also be made to facilitate a peace process on the Korean Peninsula, along with various steps being taken to open a new chapter in multilateral security cooperation in Northeast Asia.
U.S. President George W. Bush ex-pressed his support for the signing of a peace treaty to put an end to war on the Korean Peninsula, during his summit with President Roh in Hanoi in November 2006, and again in Sydney in September 2007. At the 2007 inter- Korean summit, President Roh clearly conveyed President Bush’s intention to Chairman Kim, along with a message that Pyeongyang should not let this opportunity slip away. Chairman Kim agreed in principle to move toward a peace regime, expressed interest in formally declaring an end to the Korean War, and called on South Korea to strive for such a realization.
Recently, discussions have been under way about the formation of a multilateral security system in Northeast Asia, but such an arrangement would only supplement the Korea-U.S. alliance rather than replacing it. Changing political circumstances in Northeast Asia, accelerating the reconciliation and cooperation process on the Korean Peninsula, and changes in the U.S. foreign policy, after the September 11 terrorist attacks, necessitate new strategic thinking and attitudes to as-sure the peace and security of North-east Asia.

Conclusion
International interest and support are needed to bring about peace on the Korean Peninsula and encourage positive change in North Korea. There have been rapid changes in the political situation in Northeast Asia, as shown by the collapse of the former Soviet Union, South Korea’s normalization of its relations with China and Russia, and the speedy progress in reconciliation and cooperation between the two Koreas. Future interaction among the four major powers should be carefully considered as well, in regard to: China’s emergence as a world superpower, Japan’s efforts to be recognized as a “normal” country, Russia’s recovery from post-Soviet stagnation, and U.S. adjustment of its security focus in the region in response to current realities.
Reconciliation and cooperation as well as peace on the Korean Peninsula are possible through the efforts of North Korea to change itself, along with the sincere endeavors of relevant countries involved. Accordingly, I believe it would be desirable for not just Northeast Asian countries, but all of the international community to support North Korea’s participation in tackling global issues, as its newest member, through their active and positive efforts. The 21st century is sometimes referred to as “the Pacific era,” and it is therefore vital to establish a permanent peace regime on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia.
The most essential precondition for overcoming the remnants of the Cold War and the challenges of the North Korean nuclear crisis, and for attaining permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula, is a coherent and strategic vision and willingness on the part of regional powers to make concerted efforts within a multilateral framework. In this vein, the Six-Party Talks, which has been dealing with the North Korean nuclear problem, represents an important experiment of a multilateral process in Northeast Asia and will likely serve as a model for future developments.
It is indeed fortunate and desirable that the vestiges of the Cold War are giving way to an engagement policy, based on dialogue as well as close multilateral cooperation and interdependence. As such, we must ask the international community to demonstrate greater inte-rest and extend more positive support for these efforts. Peace cannot be attained in a day. The road to war is short, but the road to peace is long and sometimes rocky. Yet it is a journey that should never be abandoned.

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