S. Korea’s master plan for NK focuses on peace, prosperity

Dec 04, 2018, 08:44 am

By AsiaToday reporter Heo Go-woon

The Moon Jae-in government has proposed to focus on “peaceful coexistence” and “mutual prosperity” as the basic direction of its policy on inter-Korean relations for the next five years, and suggested to achieve “reunification” as a long-term task. The government also adopted a strategy that seeks to solve the North Korean nuclear issues while developing the inter-Korean relations at the same time, rather than demanding complete denuclearization first. It is noteworthy what kind of changes will be made in the top-down approach of collectively denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula and establishing lasting peace that is currently being carried out among the two Koreas and the United States.

Due to the exceptionality of the North Korean regime and the nature of the three leaders, the top-down approach has become somewhat effective. Therefore, the upcoming transition to the North Korean policy system is garnering a lot of attention.

The government unveiled Monday the ‘3rd Basic Plan for Developing Inter-Korean Relations’, which will be the basis for its policy on inter-Korean relations for the next five years. In the latest plan, the government presents three goals, four strategies, five principles, and key tasks under the two main visions of peaceful coexistence and mutual prosperity. The plan is intended to make the Korean Peninsula peaceful and prosperous through mutual cooperation among the Koreas and their neighboring countries.

What’s catching attention is that “unification” is absent in the latest plan compared to the first and second basic plans, whose visions are “the mutual prosperity and peaceful reunification of the Korean Peninsula” and “the establishment of peace on the Korean Peninsula and the basis of reunification”, respectively.

In the plan, the government does not pursue reunification as a short-term goal that needs to be achieved within five years, but aims to achieve peaceful reunification as a process by prioritizing peace settlement and development of inter-Korean relations. “We will seek peaceful coexistence between the two Koreas based on the ‘three no’s – no North Korean collapse, no South Korea-led unification through absorption, and no artificial unification,” the government said.

The plan states that the three major goals are solving the North Korean issue and establishing lasting peace, developing sustainable inter-Korean relations, and realizing a new economic community on the Korean Peninsula, as agreed by the leaders at their earlier summits.

“We will firmly maintain the principle of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,” the unification ministry said. “Nationally, we will establish a “National Reunification Agreement” to secure the consistency of the North Korean policy. Based on national consensus, we will enter into ‘Inter-Korean Basic Agreement’ and ‘Peace on the Korean Peninsula Agreement’.”

The four strategies are: a) a step-by-step and comprehensive approach to resolving the North Korean nuclear issue, b) keeping pace in solving the inter-Korean relations with the North Korean nuclear issue, c) securing sustainability through institutionalization, and d) not stressing denuclearization but creating a basis for peaceful unification through mutual cooperation. They reflect the Moon Jae-in government’s philosophy of strengthening the virtuous cycle of inter-Korean relations and the North Korean nuclear issue by advancing and promoting Washington-Pyongyang dialogue and denuclearization negotiations through inter-Korean talks and exchanges.

The unification ministry also proposed the five principles: a) playing a leading role in resolving issues on the Korean peninsula, b) maintaining peace through strong national security, c) developing inter-Korean relations based on mutual respect, d) emphasizing communication and consensus with the people, and e) promoting policy through cooperation with the national community.

Among the key tasks to be pursued are resolving the nuclear issue peacefully and establishing a peace regime, holding inter-Korean summits and talks on a regular basis, and promoting and diversifying inter-Korean exchanges. In particular, the plan aims to hold either a trilateral or quadrilateral meeting to declare the end of the Korean War within the year and to discuss the establishment of peace regime on the Korean Peninsula.

The Development of Inter-Korean Relations Act calls for the unification minister to establish a master plan every five years on how to develop inter-Korean relations. The latest plan should have come earlier to replace the second plan drawn up during the administration of former President Park Geun-hye, which expired last year.

The unification ministry said it was delayed inevitably to reflect the rapidly changing circumstances of the inter-Korean relations and the situation on the Korean Peninsula seen throughout this year.

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