Former president Kim Dae-jung’s visit to Pyongyang, planned for the end of June, has been postponed indefinitely. It has been postponed once before, after being scheduled for mid-April, because of the possibility it might be used for political ends in the South’s regional elections held May 31. This time, the main reason for the cancellation is the North Korean missile issue, but even before that became a problem, working-level contact was unsatisfactory regarding how the former president would physically get to Pyongyang and the details of his schedule. The North and South both need to work to have Kim successfully visit Pyongyang soon.
Kim is the main architect behind the policy of engagement with the North and the era of reconciliation, begun with the inter-Korean summit of 2000. Relations between the North and South have seen complications along the way, but quantitatively and qualitatively there has been notable development. The plan for his visit originated in an effort to create a breakthrough in the six-party talks that have been stalled since November last year and as part of the effort for the sake of peace and reconciliation on the peninsula. Now that the visit has been put off because Pyongyang is preparing to test fire a long-range missile, however, the former president and many South Koreans feel something has been lost. Kim reportedly thinks of the visit as his "last service to the Korean people." We hope the missile issue is resolved favorably and that he realizes his wish.
The missile issue has been clarified somewhat, now that the North has finally stated its intentions. Pyongyang’s deputy ambassador to the United Nations, Han Song-ryul, says the North’s position is that "we should resolve the problem through negotiations." The Choson Sinbo, a publication by the official association of North Koreans in Japan, appears to place the blame on the situation with the U.S., saying that "America has not said a single word" about the North extending an invitation to visit to U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill. The North is essentially saying that missile launch preparations are a means to get the U.S. to engage in direct negotiations. That being the case, the U.S. should not insist on an entirely hard-line position. You are not showing an attitude of wanting to resolve the problem when you refuse to meet with someone who says he wants to talk. The U.S. was rash to have stated its refusal to allow Hill to visit Pyongyang the moment the invitation was issued. The road to resuming the six-party talks will be for the North to cease its test fire preparations and the U.S. to engage in contact with the North.
Just how the current missile situation progresses will have an important impact on the whole of the six-party talks and inter-Korean relations. The nations involved in the process all need to work to change the mood from one of confrontation to one of dialogue. Kim should be able to go to Pyongyang in a far better climate once the situation is settled.
[Editorial] Unfortunate postponement of Kim Dae-jung visit to North |
