[Interview] Gyeonggi governer visits Pyongyang for farm cooperation project

Sohn Hak-kyu, governor of Gyeonggi province

On June 3, Sohn Hak-kyu, governor of Gyeonggi province, visited Pyongyang with about 100 delegates of an inter-Korean agricultural cooperation committee from Gyeonggi. During the visit, Governer Sohn and his delegates helped North Koreans plant the rice in a paddy in Pyongyang with rice-planting machines supplied by the South’s provincial government.

Ahead of the rice-planting, Sohn said, “Today’s sweat will help to ripen of the grain of reunification.” He emphasized that Gyeonggi province will carry out programs such as cooperation in rice-planting and modernization of the North’s agricultural sector as parts of its efforts to bring reunification closer. On the same day, the Hankyoreh interviewed Sohn at Yanggakdo International Hotel in Pyongyang.

Q: What is your impression on your first visit to Pyongyang?

A: Let me say that [North and South] became one in an area of three hectares last year. [Last year, Gyeonggi province helped North Koreans plant rice on three hectares of land.-Ed.] This year, People in the North’s Danggok-ri and Gyeonggi provinces became one in the size of 100 hectares. It’s emotional. If we get this cooperation developed programmatically, I believe it will become a major way to expand inter-Korean cooperation.

Q: Any difficulties in proceeding with the cooperation?

A: Though I wasn’t aware of it, my coworkers say there were lots of difficulties. Working-level officials didn’t sleep for three to four days when things were in disarray. Passion is core in inter-Korean cooperation. I didn’t ask for a ceremony in order to [have a mere picture-taking ceremony]. This visit, done by the North’s proposal, was an achievement of working-level officials.

Q: Do you agree that the Grand National Party should change its North Korean policy?

A: Inter-Korean cooperation and co-existence are irreversible necessities in this era. If any party denies inter-Korean cooperation, it will be an inappropriate for that party to manage the country.