End of N-programmes a must for Korean peace

7 october

To what extent was South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun able to press North Korean leader Kim Jong Il over an early realisation of the abandonment of North Korea’s nuclear programmes?

The joint declaration, titled the “Development of Relations Between the South and the North and Peaceful Prosperity,” was announced on Thursday by the two leaders after their summit meeting ~ the first such meeting in seven years.

Before visiting Pyongyang, Roh expressed his hopes for the encounter, saying it would speed up the success of the six-party talks and contribute to peace on the Korean peninsula as well as the rest of North-east Asia.

In this respect, the extent to which the two Koreas would refer to the North’s nuclear problem was a focus of attention, but the declaration only states that South and North Korea would “make joint efforts” to ensure the smooth implementation of the previous agreements made at the six-party talks.

Keeping six-party talks in mind

The meeting was held as speculation mounted about what actions, under the six-party agreement, North Korea would take to “disable” its nuclear facilities and provide “a complete declaration” of its nuclear programmes by 31 December. The summit meeting was the best opportunity for Roh to directly work on Kim for a commitment toward the abandonment of the nuclear programmes.

In their two rounds of meetings, the two leaders reportedly discussed issues geared toward achieving peace on the Korean Peninsula, prosperity for all Koreans and reunification. But both peace and reunification cannot come about unless North Korea abandons its nuclear programmes, as neighbouring countries, including Japan, will not tolerate a nuclear-armed North Korea.

The two Koreas agreed to closely cooperate in efforts to put an end to hostile military relations and ensure detente on the Korean peninsula. The two sides said they would hold defence ministerial talks in November in Pyongyang to discuss issues such as the prevention of accidental collisions of naval vessels in the Yellow Sea and the establishment of waters for joint fishing, among other issues.

Closer to detente?

When then South Korean President Kim Dae Jung and Kim Jong Il held the first North-South summit seven years ago, they did not address detente in their joint declaration. In that sense, the present joint declaration is indeed a positive development.

In the past, both countries have exchanged agreements covering detente and military confidence-building efforts. They even issued a joint declaration on denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, which prohibits the development, testing or possessing of nuclear weapons as well as the possessing of nuclear reprocessing and uranium enrichment facilities.

However, North Korea has repeatedly committed actions that violate this promise ~ including a nuclear weapons test ~ rather than complying with the declaration. An agreement or declaration alone is not enough to realise detente.

The administration of Roh, whose term will expire in less than five months, does not have the power nor the time to promote measures to realise detente. Important issues will be passed to the next administration.

Since its inauguration, the Roh administration has struck a conciliatory tone toward North Korea. It is no wonder that the present joint declaration details South Korea’s measures to assist the North economically.

However, if South Korea independently carries out massive economic assistance to North Korea outside the framework of the six-party talks, it will inevitably delay solutions to North Korea’s nuclear problem. This is a serious point that the next South Korean administration will have to keep firmly in mind.

The Yomiuri Shimbun/ANN