[Editorial] Kim Jong Il's China Visit and Faster NK Reforms

While in China, North Korea's National Defence Commission Chairman Kim Jong Il has visited Shenzhen and Guangzhou, one of the most important areas in China's policy of reform and openness. One would hope that his tour will lead to all-out economic reforms in North Korea and have noticeable results like China and Vietnam.

In 2001 Kim visited Shanghai, and in 2004 he toured Tianjin. After he returned to Pyongyang in 2001 the North announced measures such as the end of rationing and incentives for companies. His current trip is comparable to that of Deng Xiaoping's "tour of the south" in 1992, when the visited Shenzhen and other southern Chinese cities in an attempt to quiet controversy about reform within the country's leadership and to speed up the pace of those reforms. North Korean military leaders are among Kim's entourage in addition to economic officials, so you can see something of the North Korean leadership's interest.

There are considerable differences, however, in the climate for reform in China and North Korea. The biggest difference would be the North Korean nuclear issue. China raised the sail of reform at a time when it had no real security issues or conflict with powerful nations, but North Korea is in a confrontation with the United States over several issues. It will be hard for the North to achieve its goal of economic modernization if there is not progress on the nuclear issue, and so is it needs to work just as hard on the nuclear issue as on economic reform. This is why one hopes that Kim's visit brings a conclusion to the controversy over the counterfeiting and circulation of U.S. dollars and the issue of financial sanctions, and that it also creates a breakthrough that leads to the reopening of the six party talks.

Ultimately the goal of economic reform and openness is integration with the global economy. The nations that are party to the talks, and particularly South Korea, will actively support that attempt. Prior to that, of course, there has to be work to resolve the nuclear issue in a way that meets with international norms.

The Hankyoreh, 16 January 2006.

[Translations by Seoul Selection]