South and North Korea reached a wide range of agreements during their prime ministers’ talks last week. The 1st inter-Korean prime ministers’ meeting, which was aimed to follow up agreements made at the second inter-Korean summit last month, produced some substantial results. Unlike previous talks, both sides refrained from provoking the other side with political issues, and North Korea seemed to be more sincere than ever before. Here’s Dr. Hong Hyun-ik from the Sejong Institute evaluating last week’s inter-Korean talks.

The inter-Korean summit in early October paved the way for the virtuous circle of peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula. At the time, the leaders of the two Koreas promised to establish a joint economic community through bilateral economic cooperation and eventually achieve the peaceful reunification of Korea. The inter-Korean prime ministers’ meeting took place last week in order to cover the points of agreements struck during the second inter-Korean summit. The premiers agreed to organize a body to push ahead with the joint projects, and economic cooperation between the two Koreas will likely hit its stride next year.

The prime ministers’ talks focused mainly on the timeline and details of the broad agreements reached at the October inter-Korean summit. The meeting also provided a basis for expanding inter-Korean dialogue, as the two sides agreed to hold the prime ministers’ talks regularly. Most notably, they agreed to take necessary measures to reinvigorate the Gaeseong Industrial Complex, the symbolic inter-Korean economic cooperation business. They saw eye to eye on the need for facilitating transit, communications and customs service for the industrial complex and also operating a cross-border railway linking to Gaeseong for regular freight service. Dr. Hong has more details.

The Gaeseong Industrial Complex is considered a touchstone of economic cooperation between the two Koreas. In fact, South Korean businesspeople and officials have so far had much difficulty in transit, telecommunications and customs in the complex. On a positive note, however, the prime ministers of the two Koreas agreed to allow free movement of people and vehicles of the South in the complex. Also, Seoul will start building a communication center in the complex within the year and complete it around the end of next year. Even during the construction period, Internet access and wire and mobile phone services will be available in the complex. A collecting center for goods will be set up for simpler and more prompt customs inspections. Also notably, a cross-border cargo railway linking Munsan in the South and Bongdong in the North will start operations from December 11. Regular rail services between North and South will start for the first time in 56 years since the Gyongeui Line was severed in 1951.

Transit, communications and customs in the Gaeseong complex have been the biggest obstacle for business people. It is a prerequisite for solving these problems for companies both at South Korea and abroad, which are interested in North Korea investment. That’s why the agreements on these issues are considered the biggest achievement of the inter-Korean prime ministers’ talks. Another outcome is the creation of a peace and cooperation zone in the border area of the West Sea, one of the key projects stated in the inter-Korean joint declaration.

North and South agreed to create a committee for a special zone of peace and cooperation in the West Sea, and its first meeting will be held next month. The joint development of the Han River estuary in South Korea, if realized, will generate billions of dollars of profit. The two sides will make an on-site inspection of the area before the year’s end and start developing it next year. In addition, they will create a joint fishing zone in the West Sea near the Northern Limit Line, the current sea border of the two Koreas, next year. The two sides will also develop the North Korean port of Haeju and create a special economic zone in the city where another industrial park will be built. Both sides agreed to open a direct sea route between Haeju and the South’s Incheon so that private cargo ships, including unarmed North Korean ones, can travel between the two sides.

Those economic projects are aimed at turning the disputed West Sea, where accidental clashes between the two Koreas are prone to occur, into a peaceful area. During the inter-Korean defense ministers’ talks, scheduled for late this month, the two sides will finalize the range of the proposed joint fishing zone in the West Sea. For this, an on-site inspection team will visit North Korea after a working-level contact in December. What are the potential effects of developing the West Sea area? Dr. Hong explains.

The West Sea has been a constant source of tension and conflict between the two Koreas, especially during the blue crab-catching season in spring. A new concept of security and cooperation will be applied to this disputed area, since a joint fishing zone and a peace zone will be established near the Northern Limit Line. So far, South Korean fishermen haven’t been allowed to cross the fishing limit line, about seven kilometers south of the NLL. But they will be able to go farther North, securing a wider fishing ground. For the North Korean side, the development of Haeju will bring about substantial economic benefits and create more jobs. Through mutual cooperation, North and South Korea will lay a solid ground for peaceful unification in the West Sea.

Other economic projects include the construction of joint shipbuilding plants in North Korea’s Anbyeon in the first half of next year and the repairing of a highway linking Gaeseong and Pyongyang and a railroad connecting Gaeseong and Shineuiju next year. After adopting a joint statement at the end of the prime ministers’ talks, South Korean Unification Minister Lee Jae-jung said that the joint statement contained implementation measures for the summit accords and that the agreement is the first step toward advancing inter-Korean relations through the virtuous circle of peace and economy. Despite the positive results, uncertainties still remain, as there are no military guarantees to back up these agreements.

The prime ministers’ talks are considered to be successful, as they produced visible outcomes. More importantly, however, the two Koreas should be able to reach consensus regarding military issues, because all those cross-border projects require a security guarantee from military authorities. North and South will hold their defense ministers’ talks from November 27 to 29, and the upcoming talks are very crucial for actually implementing bilateral economic projects. The two Koreas should also build military confidence and reach agreement on arms control if they hope to play a leading role in establishing a peace regime on this peninsula and boost economic cooperation further. I believe the establishment of a peace system based on military cooperation will help the two sides achieve independence.

The comprehensive agreements made at last week’s talks will require massive funding. The North Korean nuclear crisis has yet to be resolved, and the negative public sentiment toward “excessive aid for North Korea” is still prevalent in South Korean society. It’s the government’s task to remind the general public that inter-Korean economic cooperation is far from “one-sided aid.” Also, the current government must induce the next administration to faithfully implement all those agreements. It’s hoped that both South and North Korea will handle remaining tasks well so that the hard-earned agreements will help spur closer cooperation between the two sides. 　 [Interview] Defector-Turned-Teacher Committed to Teaching Young Defectors
A junior high school for students from North Korea opened here in the South in March 2006. “Hangyore School” is a special educational institute dedicated to helping the young defector students adapt to South Korean society well, the first and only of such schools in South Korea. Today, we’ll meet with Kim Eun-cheol, who teaches mathematics and Internet Marketing at the school. Just like his students, Kim also defected from North Korea. He majored in physics in his home country and served as a math teacher in a local school in Shineuiju. After he came to the South in 1997, he had worked as a company employee for six years. When he heard about a new school for defector students, he decided to volunteer as a teacher. Let’s listen to Mr. Kim.

Being a North Korean defector myself, I thought I could give some help to teenagers from the North when they need counseling. Actually, the students feel friendly toward me because I came from North Korea. They are willing to talk with me about very trivial things. We understand each other, and they like me.

Some students escaped North Korea alone, leaving their family there, while some others fled from the North with their family but they had to separate because some of their family members were caught by the Chinese police. Even though they managed to set foot on South Korean soil, it is far from easy for the young students to assimilate to the different culture and systems of South Korea. As a North Korean defector who resettled in the South before them, Kim spends a lot of time in healing their mental scars and encouraging them to start a new life here in the South.

It’s heartbreaking to see the students living all alone, without parents. As a teacher, I deliver them some knowledge, but I focus more on counseling. Many middle school students are stressed out when they learn foreign languages and unfamiliar Chinese characters. High schoolers are mostly interested in getting jobs. They’re wondering if they can land a job in Seoul or other major cities. I usually encourage them to consider entering a college.

Located in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province, Hangyore School has some 100 students, all of whom live in the dormitory. Teachers stay in the dorm, too, spending more time together with the students, like their own parents. Thanks to the teachers’ efforts, all the graduates of the school were able to enter colleges last year.

It’s rewarding to see the students understand South Korean society well and adapt to their new lives here successfully. All the high school seniors were admitted to colleges last year, and many students are preparing for universities this year. If they receive high quality education in college and play a certain part in this society after graduation, South Koreans may get rid of prejudice against North Korean people. More importantly, it’s good for them to return what they learned and received from this school to society.

Kim felt immensely happy when his students went to universities, as if he entered a university himself. What he cares the most is to help his students do well in this society. Thanks to his heartfelt love and support, the young students will hopefully become decent members of South Korean society.