An incident has occurred in which North Korea kept a group of South Koreans visiting the North for a mass family reunion from returning to Seoul for more than ten whole hours, and in which the South's press pool there to cover the reunion decided to leave before the event was over. Whatever happened, however, it is most unfortunate that something like this transpired at a family reunion, an event where humanitarian principles are of the utmost importance.
It is a direct affront to the principles of humanitarianism to scare elderly members of separated families in order to realize one's demands. What did they ever do to deserve this, these people who have waited decades to meet family in North Korea? The venue for the reunion event may have been Mount Geumgang, but detaining Southerners goes beyond the limits of asserting sovereign authority. The North went too far when it prevented a broadcaster from sending his piece to the South because his company had said a crew member from the fishing vessel Sinseongho had been "kidnapped" by the North years ago, and for demanding the journalist be sent home. If the North thought there was a problem with his choice of words it could have explained its position and sought his understanding. It cannot try to coerce the South's media.
As for some of the South's journalists, it would be hard to say they made the right decisions, either. Everyone knows quite well that the Sinseonho and other fishing vessels that wound up in North Korea are said by Southerners to have been "kidnapped" and, by the North, to have gone there by choice. The North and South still do not have a format in place in which they can argue such issues. That is why "persons gone missing since the cessation of hostilities" has been the term of choice in recent written intra-Korean agreements, because the priority is having separated persons meet again. That being the case, people need to at least be careful about their choice of lexicon at the actual reunion venues. It also did not look good to have the South's press pool leave.
In some ways it is unavoidable that unforeseen events occur in the course of intra-Korean contact, given the major differences in customs and the way things are done. What is important is that the situation is not exaggerated or exacerbated, and that instead we work on new principles and practices. In this instance, they key is the principle of humanitarianism and the practice of mutual respect.
The Hankyoreh, 24 March 2006.
[Translations by Seoul Selection]
[Editorial] An Eventful Intra-Korean Reunion |
