[Editorial] North Korea’s cancellation of inter-Korean cultural event extremely disappointing

Thomas Bach, chairman of the International Olympic Committee, receives a bouquet of flowers from volunteers after arriving at Jinbu Station in Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province on Jan. 30. “I heard that the unified Korean hockey team celebrated the birthday of one of the North Korean players. I think that the Olympic spirit and message is reflected through the team’s party,” said Bach. (Yonhap News)

On Jan. 29, North Korea unilaterally announced that it was canceling an inter-Korean cultural event scheduled to take place at Mt. Kumgang on Feb. 4 for the Pyeongchang Olympics, ostensibly because of the South Korean press “insulting the sincere measures taken by the North in connection with the Pyeongchang Olympics” and “taking issue with celebratory events internal to the North.” The “celebratory event” mentioned by Pyongyang was a military parade to be held for the 70th anniversary of the North Korea’s armed forces on Feb. 8, a day ahead of the Olympic opening ceremony.

This is extremely disappointing. As North Korea indicated, there are indeed issues with the stance of South Korean news reports, which have been finding fault as if troubled by the mood of inter-Korean reconciliation taking shape with the Olympics. Authorities in Pyongyang are entitled to show their displeasure. But it’s difficult to comprehend canceling an event like this over reports by the privately run media. Agreements between the South and North are not promises made with the press, and the South Korean government does not have the authority to directly control what the press reports.

Meanwhile, Seoul did not voice any real protest when the Rodong Sinmun, the newspaper of the North Korean Workers’ Party, denounced President Moon Jae-in’s New Year’s press conference in very blunt terms on Jan. 21. And even if the military parade is to be viewed as an “internal event” with no bearing on the Pyeongchang Olympics, it makes sense for the South Korean press to comment on the appearance there of numerous ICBMs, which are the reason behind the UN sanctions against the North.

The incomprehensibility of the purported reasons given by the North for the cancellation has led many to speculate other “real” reasons. These have included displeasure over claims that Seoul’s diesel fuel deliveries for the Mt. Kumgang performance would be in violation of sanctions, as well as logistical problems with staging a large-scale performance involving over 300 people. The fact that Pyongyang canceled only the Mt. Kumgang event without mentioning the joint training scheduled shortly for South and North Korean skiers at Masikryong Ski Resort suggests one or more of these factors may indeed be at play.

These kinds of unfathomable behaviors that tend to pop up during dialogue with North Korea have the potential to turn off even the South Korean news outlets that view dialogue positively and strive to understand Pyongyang’s position. North Korea is not viewed terribly positively in the South, as the flap over the unified women’s ice hockey team has shown. Hopes and desires for reunification are not what they used to be. Hopefully, the North will start approaching inter-Korean dialogue with a priority on mutual respect and trust.

The South, for its part, needs to dedicate more attention to managing issues before they escalate or worsen. Pyongyang’s cancellation of this cultural performance should not be allowed to become an obstacle to a successful Pyeongchang Olympics or future improvements in inter-Korean relations. When the two sides come together after so long like this, it’s natural for there to be friction, and it’s normal to have this sort of process of broadening understanding. Rather than being hypersensitive to disagreements, they should be approaching things from a position of tolerance and understanding.

We also urge restraint from the conservative news outlets and politicians that seem to want to sabotage improvements in inter-Korean ties. If they do harbor hopes that souring inter-Korean relations will rally conservatives or otherwise bring them political gains, they should let go of them.

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