Inter-Korean relations are again at a crossroads, as naval vessels of South and North Korea exchanged gunfire near the Northern Limit Line on the West Sea last week. In the morning of November 10, a North Korean patrol boat violated the Northern Limit Line near the Daecheong Island, despite the warning messages from the South. The South Korean Navy fired warning shots in accordance with the rules of engagement. The North then fired some 50 rounds directly at a South Korean navy vessel, prompting the South to respond with return fire. The North Korean ship eventually retreated, covered in smoke. The unexpected maritime incident came at a time when North Korea-U.S. dialogue was progressing behind the scenes, and the two Koreas were seeking cooperation as well. Diplomatic experts have presented a number of interpretations on the meaning of the sea battle. South Korean military authorities regard it as an accidental clash, considering that only one North Korean patrol boat crossed the maritime border, unlike in the two previous inter-Korean gun battles on the same waters. But Dr. Jeon Seong-hun from the Korea Institute for National Unification analyzes the situation differently.

A North Korean war ship crossed the Northern Limit Line into the South Korean waters, ignored five rounds of the South’ verbal warnings, withstood the South’s warning shots, and fired directly at the South Korean ship. Given the characteristics of the North Korean regime, all these actions can’t be taken simply by accident, even though only one North Korean ship was involved. I speculate the North deliberately planned a gunfight under the instruction of the North Korean Naval Command on the West Sea or even higher-level leadership. In view of North Korea-U.S. relations, Pyongyang may have organized the incident intentionally in order to demonstrate that the current armistice between the two Koreas has many problems, ahead of U.S. President Barack Obama’s visit to Seoul and soon-to-be-held North Korea-U.S. dialogue. In the context of inter-Korean ties, North Korea has shown conciliatory gestures toward the South, expecting to gain a lot of benefits from joint projects, including the family reunion program. But the South remains rather lukewarm. In a sense, the latest naval clash can be interpreted as the North’s military threat or application of pressure against the South.

Immediately following the maritime battle, North Korea claimed that South Korea caused armed provocation and demanded an apology from the South. And the North continues to issue threats on the South. In a message on behalf of a North Korean representative at inter-Korean general-level military talks, the North reminded the South on November 13 that there is only one sea border on the West Sea and that it would take “merciless military measures” to defend its own border. Also on November 15, the South Korean military detected signs that North Korea activated radar for surface-to-ship missiles deployed in a North Korean missile base. The military stays on high alert to guard against additional provocation from North Korea.

There’s a good chance of further provocation. The North Korean ship did attack the South, but it was helpless against the South’s massive counterstrike. The news has already spread to the North Korean military. Even though North Korean leadership does not want to aggravate the situation further, it is keenly aware of the deteriorating image of the North Korean military. North Korea was trounced by the South at the first inter-Korean sea battle in 1999. The North retaliated upon the South at the second gun battle in 2002. If history is any guide, North Korea will surely attack the South as a reprisal. The timing is uncertain, depending on political and diplomatic circumstances. But there’s almost a 100 percent possibility of yet another provocation from North Korea.

One day after the inter-Korean naval collision, the South Korean government expressed its position that it didn’t want the incident to have a negative impact on inter-Korean relations. Seoul seems to have delivered this message to the North quickly in order to avoid a new chill in inter-Korean ties, which had begun improving only recently. The government didn’t publicize the naval personnel who drove the enemy back, nor did it release photos of the incident, so as not to provoke North Korea. But experts predict there will be some repercussions, noting that mutual trust between the authorities of the two Koreas remains weak.

We all hope to see better inter-Korean relations and brisk bilateral exchanges. But the latest incident was clearly a military clash, which inflicted severe damage on the North. I think mishaps like this will inevitably have adverse effects on inter-Korean ties. To develop bilateral relations in a more stable way, North Korea must refrain from its old strategy of launching a surprise yet premeditated attack and change its mindset. Following the incident, inter-Korean ties will undergo a cold spell for some time. I suppose it will have a significant psychological impact on South Korean civilians planning to visit North Korea and on South Korean personnel working at the Gaeseong Industrial Complex.

Meanwhile, the United States remains cautious about the unexpected inter-Korean maritime battle. It’s obvious that the U.S. doesn’t want to lose the hard-earned dialogue momentum, as it has reiterated its willingness to engage in dialogue with the North. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on November 11 that the naval clash between North and South Korea would not derail the decision on North Korea-U.S. dialogue. Likewise, diplomatic experts don’t think the U.S. will cancel the planned North Korean visit by special envoy Stephen Bosworth or suspend dialogue with Pyongyang. According to Dr. Jeon, it’s most important at this moment in time to prevent the recent naval skirmish from ratcheting up unnecessary tension.

The Seoul government has made a lot of efforts to keep the incident from escalating further. I think the government’s efforts proved highly effective. South Korea handled the North’s provocation with strength, but didn’t provide any excuses for North Korea to escalate the gun battle. That was a very wise response. North Korea engages in such provocations habitually, so South Korea doesn’t need to overreact. It is unnecessary to expand into international conflict involving neighboring countries. Since the end of the Korean War, the Northern Limit Line has been observed by involved countries as the de facto inter-Korean maritime border. Therefore, Seoul needs to hold fast to its own principle and seek its national interest.

In overcoming the aftermath of the naval clash, most agree that the South Korean government’s ability and willingness to manage the situation is important. Seoul needs to address the mishap calmly and effectively and take pains to ease military tension between the two Koreas in order to prevent a similar incident from occurring.


[Interview] Christian Alternative School for N. Korean Teenage Defectors
I’m so happy now. These people couldn’t complete the elementary school course. They used to commit theft when they were little and they couldn’t even write their own names. They wandered around the mountains because they had no homes. They didn’t know a thing about their parents or hometowns. I’ve nurtured these unlucky children for ten years. They’re grown-ups now, and they can study freely in South Korea. I’m very happy and thankful for that.

A Christian alternative school for North Korean teenage defectors opened on October 11, the first of its kind in South Korea. Behind the establishment of “Durihana International School” are the heartfelt efforts and devotion of a woman named Kim Joo, the school principal. This school’s story dates back ten years.

I’ve engaged in missionary work for 20 years, visiting many countries like Russia and Mongolia. In China, one of the most frequent destinations, I bumped into North Korean homeless children. They were in such miserable plight; the poor children were starving and suffering from skin diseases. One day, boys who appeared 15 or 16 years old sprang out at me and asked me to give them a blanket. I did, but they remained silent. I told them to take the blanket, but they said again they wanted some place to live. I thought they meant a room. My heart was broken. I realized it was my mission to help them out. I had traveled around the world for missionary work, but I finally found my last mission. So I began to take care of the children one by one.

Ms. Kim began to look after the North Korean children in China. It was far from easy to feed and educate the orphans in a foreign land, but she tried her best to fulfill her mission. But it was impossible to stay with North Korean teenagers in China forever, since the Chinese police was strengthening its crackdowns on defectors from the North. As a result, Kim ran the risk of helping the children escape China one by one. Fortunately, all of them were able to set foot on South Korea safe and sound on September 24. After completing the training session at Hanawon, a rehabilitation center for North Korean newcomers, the teenagers said they wanted to stay with her. So Ms. Kim decided to set up this alternative school, in collaboration with Rev. Cheon Gi-won of Durihana Mission, a local group dedicated to rescuing North Korean refugees. About 20 teachers and volunteers work at Durihana International School. Unlike other alternative schools in South Korea, this school has the goal of fostering leaders in preparation for a unification era. Here’s Rev. Cheon to explain.

Many students from North Korea fail to catch up with their South Korean counterparts under the current public education system. So we established this alternative school. There are similar schools, but most of them help student prepare for school qualification examinations. While we also provide similar courses to help our students keep up with the existing education system, we are more focused on English education so the students can acquire a cosmopolitan outlook. Korean society is becoming multicultural, and the concept of “nationalism” will be less important in the future, in which countries will become united in one global community. We plan to select scholarship students and send them to the United States or New Zealand for intense English training. I’d say this school is fully committed to globalization.

Fitting for the name of this “international” school, the afternoon class is taught by native speakers of English. In this class, students are required to speak only in English. Although they’re inexperienced with English, they are willing to answer the questions. The students eat and sleep at the school, living together like a family. They’ve lived this way for the last ten years in China. Little wonder they are more used to calling her “granny” than “Ms. Kim” or “principal.” And “love” is the most important lesson they learn at this school; a school filled with trust and affection. Thanks to the teachers’ warm and endless love, the young newcomers from North Korea will, hopefully, become decent and confident citizens of South Korea.