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Lim Dong-won
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Former unification minister says South must separate nuclear issue from inter-Korean ties
Former unification minister Lim Dong-won, the architect behind the so-called Sunshine Policy of engagement with North Korea under the Kim Dae-jung administration, called for the government to pursue a consistent and proactive policy on North Korea, based on the tenets of the Sunshine Policy. Lim's remarks come as six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear weapons program are set to resume.
"To make a breakthrough in inter-Korean relations, it is desirable to send a presidential envoy to North Korea," Lim said in a speech on December 13. In order to develop inter-Korean ties, Lee urged the government to pursue a 'change coming from the highest echelon' of the North's government.
Given the regime's characteristics, only North Korean leader Kim Jong-il can make the important decisions, Lim said. "If necessary, we should exchange envoys and hold a summit to resolve problems."
Amid criticisms over both the Sunshine Policy and President Roh Moo-hyun's continued engagement policy with the North following the country's October 9 nuclear test, Lim defended the policy, saying "only the strong can pursue the Sunshine Policy."
Lim emphasized that North Korea's nuclear problem should be separated from inter-Korean matters, saying that "as we develop inter-Korean ties, we can both influence the North and raise [South Korea's] international profile." The former unification minister urged the South Korean government to continue humanitarian aid to North Korea, saying such aid may be one of several effective measures to ameliorate some of North Korea's problems. "We should not neglect North Korean people's ordeals." Referring to the U.S. government's North Korea policy, Lim said the George W. Bush administration's hostile policy was a failure. He continued by stressing the U.S.'s responsibility in resolving the North Korea nuclear issue, saying that "the U.S. is the only country that can remove security threats [for North Korea], to ease economic sanctions, and to normalize ties," Lim said. Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]
