Inter-Korean engagement
In 2000, there was a dramatic summit between Korean countries which gave rise to Sunshine policy with the hopes of gaining cooperation and reconciliation with North Korea for the eventual achievement of reunifying the Korean peninsula. Following this summit, South Korea gave aid to the North and made concession with them but got no more than political gains in the domestic boundaries. In 2010, the diplomatic stage was set to resume again in the talks while protesting the motivations, precedents, and legacy of the policy in South Korea. This policy is the most crucial and sustained effort in engaging North Korea even today. This was a policy very well advocated for by Kim Dae Jung as a symbol of reconciliation for inter-Korea. The nation of Korea has for a long time sought to be unified; be collective, with one ethnic identity, language, and culture.
The act of reunification is seen and reconciliation is seen as the concept of South Korea while North Korea remains a closed state and appears to be hostile to such talks giving terming them to be idealistic. This can be attributed to the media who are not as keen to notice the initiatives of North Korea. It has even become impossible to see anything positive about DPRK (Democratic Republic of Korea). North Korea is still an area where journalists have a free license to sensationalize and show partiality. There are no western sources in North Korea and this has given permission to the media to come up with interesting stories that are not supported by hard facts. The Korean conflict has been portrayed as one sided; North Korea is the dangerous state while South Korea is the suffering one.
Just recently the whole world has been opened up again to the tension between the two regions. This tension has been caused by the threats issued by North Korea to the South and the United States, a step that came after the South Korea military exercises were renewed. The threat included hitting Washington DC with a nuclear bomb but was met roughly by the countries intended. Ban Ki-moon the secretary general of the United Nations warned that this threat was no joke and that the participating parties should restrain themselves to avoid getting out of control. He said that the existing crisis was already far and there was no need adding more to it, instead the parties should come down. This statement forced the North to restart atomic energy operations at Yongbyon claiming to overcome the shortage in electricity that they are facing and boosting nuclear armed forces. The North Korea had declared a state of war with the South. This is not a surprise as the two nations have been at war since 1950, but the North Koreans do not agree with the US and South Korea military exercises of alliance. North Korea even warned the foreigners in South Korea to leave in order to avoid being caught up in the conflict.
Leaders in the world have expressed their shock following the crisis and the probable conflict which involves a country that develops nuclear weapons. China which supports North Korea financially has asked them to be calm and restrain from the war, asking them to maintain peace and stability which entails protecting the safety and legal rights of their citizens. Human suffering alleviation and advancement of human rights needs a commitment that is long term and a significant political and economic capital, something that the sunshine policy did not put into consideration. It instead sought to ignore the suffering in the North and fight for the rights of the Southern. This cold verdict on North Korea is a driving force to their vengeance and the irreconcilable conflict.
The South Koreans have opposed engaging in other talks with the North which is reported to be ready to negotiate. This statement was made by Choe Ryonghae the vice marshal when he met the Chinese president in Beijing. However it was not reported in North Korea. This gap has made the prospects of reconvening the six party talks doubtful. These talks are aimed at ending the North’s nuclear programs with china wanting to revive the talks. The United Nations and South Korea are of the opinion that reviving the negotiations would be useless unless the North admitted to giving up the nuclear weapons. North Korea has been asked to honor its international promises and obligations on denuclearization before the talks can commence. It has been urged to freeze all nuclear programs and accept monitors from UN. They have not indicated any shift on the development of nuclear weapons. Instead of agreeing to the terms the North Korea is determined to rebuild its economy and expand its nuclear range. They even told the South Korean president to learn the preparedness of the North military before learning anything else. This is an indication that the North is still far from giving up its nuclear weapons.
South Korea is upset about these comments and has refused to celebrate the 2000 inter-Korean summit agreement anniversary on 15th June with the North. This deal had taken a large portion of the South economic investments which made them suspend it as the inter Korean relations is bad over the years because of the nuclear weapons in the North and military provocations. North Korea is stuck on reviving the deal but is keen to ignore the calls for talk by the South. This divide is a complicated political situation.
