There are signs of a rapid thaw in the icy relationship between South and North Korea. North Korea’s long-range rocket launch and its second nuclear test had escalated tension in the region and spawned international criticism. But in an abrupt about-face, the communist country has been trying to improve relations with the U.S. and South Korea since early this month. Here’s Professor Ryu Gil-jae from the University of North Korean Studies to explain.

Hyundai Group Chairwoman Hyun Jeong-eun traveled to North Korea in mid-August to win the release of Hyundai Asan worker Yu Seong-jin, who had been detained in the North for nearly 150 days. During her stay in the North, Hyun also met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il and agreed to restart cross-border tours and resume reunions of separated families. Hyun later delivered the agreement to the Seoul government. A series of recent diplomatic events, such as the South Korean businesswoman’s North Korea trip on the heels of former U.S. President Bill Clinton’s Pyongyang visit in early August and a North Korean delegation’s Seoul visit last week to pay tribute to the late former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung, facilitated the process of creating a reconciliatory mood in and around the Korean Peninsula.

Last Sunday, President Lee Myung-bak met with North Korean delegates visiting Seoul to pay respects to late President Kim Dae-jung. Experts see the meeting as a rare opportunity to ease the protracted tension between the two Koreas. The North Korean delegation even extended its stay in Seoul in order to meet with the South Korean president and deliver him a verbal message from North Korean leader Kim Jong-il. North Korea’s recent attitude signals a significant change in its position.

Following the death of former president Kim Dae-jung, North Korea unexpectedly sent a condolence delegation consisting of high-level officials. But paying respects to the late president wasn’t their final goal. They strongly urged a meeting with President Lee and reportedly engaged in in-depth discussions with him. Some media agencies say a third inter-Korean summit was mentioned during the meeting. During a speech marking Liberation Day on August 15, President Lee expressed his willingness to hold dialogue with North Korea in any form, at any time. Amid the softened mood, North Korea took a conciliatory gesture toward the South by sending a condolence delegation.

North Korea does seem to be committed to appeasing Seoul. As a matter of fact, the North had strictly restricted overland passage through the Military Demarcation Line by all South Korean civic groups since last December and went ahead with missile launches and a nuclear test in the face of objection from the international community. So, why is North Korea making a peace offensive at this point, after months of hostility?

North Korea’s provocative acts this year were aimed at the United States. But contrary to the North’s expectations, the Obama government has never rushed the process of forming a mood for dialogue. Also, the U.N. Security Council imposed strong sanctions on North Korea under Resolution 1874 in the wake of the North’s nuclear test in May. The situation never turned out the way Pyongyang thought it would. Regarding relations with Seoul, North Korea has continued to denounce the Lee Myung-bak government and deliberately aggravated inter-Korean ties in a bid to gain leverage on South Korea for the past year and a half. Nevertheless, the Seoul government hasn’t been hasty in suggesting dialogue, holding fast to its strict principles. Currently, North Korea sees its economic conditions deteriorating amid the worsening diplomatic situation. So Pyongyang must have felt a need for a strategic shift in its policy.

Seoul’s North Korea policy will likely remain steady despite North Korea’s attitude suddenly changing earlier this month. It’s important to consider that North Korea is showing no visible signs of making a shift in its stance on the nuclear issue. For that reason, the South Korean government neither expressed pleasure at the North’s recent attitude nor welcomed it. Instead, the government maintains its consistent principles regarding the North Korea policy, while trying to figure out the true intensions behind the North’s series of conciliatory gestures.

The Lee Myung-bak government pledged to implement its North Korean policy based on principles. It would be good to expand inter-Korean exchanges in size, such as massive economic cooperation and more cross-border trips. But the root of the problem on the Korean Peninsula lies in unstable security conditions. North Korea continues to develop nuclear weapons and launch missiles. As long as the precarious conditions continue, cross-border trade and personnel exchanges would be meaningless. Having this in mind, the Lee Myung-bak government seeks to handle inter-Korean relations based on firm principles.

The two Koreas began a Red Cross meeting on Wednesday to discuss the reunions of separated families. Also, the authorities of the two sides are expected to hold talks to discuss ways to facilitate the operation of the Gaeseong industrial park and to resume South Korean tours to the North’s Mt. Geumgang and its ancient capital city of Gaeseong.

The mood is very good. North Korea has seldom, if ever, taken a turnaround approach on its position, as far as inter-Korean relations are concerned. Amid the prolonged deadlock in bilateral ties, tension could have risen further in the region. Fortunately, the situation has been somewhat eased, and South Korea can afford to take a short breather. Yet, Seoul must not fluctuate between hopes and disappointments, if history is any guide. Many have unrealistically high expectations for future inter-Korean ties when the situation seems to be improving, while they tend to be too pessimistic when bilateral ties worsen. History hasn’t necessarily proceeded that way. The Seoul government needs to carefully watch how the situation evolves and address inter-Korean matters cautiously.

A warm breeze is blowing in from North Korea to thaw icy inter-Korean relations. Still, “principles” should be sustained. Only when there’s progress in North Korea’s denuclearization, can inter-Korean ties improve in a true sense. South Korea must figure out exactly what the North’s peace-making gestures mean and elicit a positive change from North Korea to eventually induce the nation to give up its nuclear ambition.


[Interview] Concert Dedicated to N. Korean Teenage Defectors
The “2009 Beautiful Dream Concert” was held at the Samsung Art Hall at Ewha Woman’s University on August 15. As its title suggests, the concert was designed to nurture the dreams of teenage defectors from North Korea, who crossed the line of no return in search of a better life but still face difficulty even after resettling here in South Korea. Here’s Lee Young-hwan, official of the Citizens’ Alliance for North Korean Human Rights, to explain more about the annual concert, which is now in its third year.

We’ve organized this concert with the purpose of raising funds needed for operating an alternative school for students from North Korea, providing them with various experience programs and helping them complete their education. Usually, it costs organizers a lot of money to hold charity concerts like this, but few of them collect sufficient donations. Fortunately, we’ve been able to collect sufficient money through this event. The audience members as well as companies and civic groups were willing to donate money, and we were able to raise 27 million won last year. This year, too, we’ve collected the same amount of money.

Meanwhile, the performance of North Korean dissident and acclaimed pianist Kim Cheol-woong appears to have a great emotional impact on the audience. The North Korean defector-turned-pianist has participated in this annual concert every year to inspire young students from the North with hope and dreams. Kim understands their plight better than anyone else.

These students already experienced terrible shock in the course of escaping their home country. I think we need to provide them with various interesting programs to ease their shock and help them grow well. Every time I take part in this concert, I feel very happy at the thought of doing something for my North Korean juniors. I’m excited and motivated to present my piano performances, with the belief that many more events like this will encourage the South Korean public to show more interest in North Korean defectors, including the young students.

The concert featured many other artists, including musical actor Jeong Seong-hwa, Korean traditional fiddle player Park Seong-jin, who himself is a North Korean defector, and Ewha Celli, a cello ensemble from Ewha Woman’s University. The performers were all dedicated to delivering a hopeful message to the young defectors that they will be able to become leaders of this country. The event also provided many audience members with a meaningful opportunity to think about teenagers from the North.

The pianist says the teenage defectors mirror the future of a unified Korea. I totally agree. More and more North Koreans are defecting to the South. We, South Koreans, must pay attention to how the newcomers acclimate to this society, how they reduce the cultural gap and how they build rapport with South Korean citizens. I think this is one of the ways to prepare for unification.

After a long and hard journey, the North Korean students reached South Korea in pursuit of a beautiful dream. The number of these young defectors now amounts to 3,000. They arrived here with high hopes for studying freely and hanging around with their South Korean friends. Unfortunately, many of them feel lonely and alienated, due to wide cultural differences. Kim Tong-il, one of the defector students who watched the show, hopes that there will be more events like this concert, although he sometimes feels frustrated with his South Korean life.

When some South Korean students make fun of me, I wish I was born in South Korea. I feel frustrated when they discriminate against me. Today, I really enjoyed this concert. I bet North Korean defectors find the concert helpful and inspiring. Events like this will give hope and dreams to North Korean students who live hard lives.

The Beautiful Dream Concert is helping South Korea fulfill its task of eradicating discrimination so the young defectors may overcome their painful past and pursue a bright future.

On August 20, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology announced a comprehensive education plan aimed at supporting North Korean teenage defectors from the initial stage of their resettlement until they become adults and enter society. Here’s hoping for greater public interest and national support so all the students from the North will smile brightly.