Amid the mounting military tension on the Korean Peninsula following the sinking of the South Korean navy ship Cheonan, South Korea commemorates the 57th anniversary of the Korean War armistice. On July 27, 1953, the U.S.-led United Nations Command, North Korea and China signed the armistice agreement to halt the Korean War, with the absence of South Korea. In the face of the ceasefire agreement, North Korea has perpetrated continuous armed provocations for those years. Diplomatic experts are noting that decades-long confrontation on this divided peninsula has evolved in the wake of the sinking of the South Korean warship Cheonan in late March this year. Let’s listen to Jang Yong-seok, guest professor at SungKongHoe University.

Most worrisome is that dialogue has disappeared and military tension is escalating on the Korean Peninsula. Following the Cheonan incident, South Korea and the U.S. are intensifying pressure on North Korea, calling for Pyongyang to apologize, punish those involved in the incident and promise not to commit such an aggressive act again. In response, North Korea publicly threatens to launch what it is calling a “retaliatory holy war” hinged on its nuclear deterrent. The heightening tension is now expanding into a confrontation between South Korea, the U.S. and Japan against North Korea and China. At this moment, it’s very awkward to discuss “peace.”

As part of a series of armed demonstration against North Korea’s attack on the Cheonan navy vessel, South Korea and the U.S. held a massive joint military drill in the East Sea from July 25 to 28. The militaries of the two allies made public the joint exercises involving a U.S. aircraft carrier and the F-22 Raptor fighter jets in an apparent bid to send a strong message to North Korea that they will never tolerate the North’s provocations. Also, the U.S. has hinted at the possibility of slapping new financial sanctions on the North—sanctions that will be much stronger than the existing U.N. Security Council Resolution 1874. As expected, the South Korea-U.S. joint military exercise has sparked intense resistance from Pyongyang. North Korea lashed out at the military drill during a large-scale convention on July 26, while the Choson Sinbo newspaper, the North Korean mouthpiece in Japan, recalled Pyongyang’s pledge to stage a retaliatory sacred war hinged on a nuclear deterrent, adding that it wouldn’t prove a mere verbal threat. Experts are warning of the possibility of a third nuclear test by North Korea, should the communist nation pursue additional armed provocations.

The U.S. imposed financial sanctions on the Macau-based Banco Delta Asia in 2005, followed by North Korea’s nuclear test in October 2006. This time too, we may see a similar situation. When responding to the U.S., North Korea has very limited number of options, and the key option will be, no doubt, a nuclear deterrent, as North Korea declared. In this sense, Pyongyang could use nuclear fusion technology to demonstrate its capability to develop more formidable nuclear weapons or show off some progress in uranium enrichment. We should also take note of the possibility that the North may launch a long-range missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. We cannot rule out the possibility that the North may go ahead with a third nuclear test.

Meanwhile, the 17th Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum ended in Vietnam on July 23, wrapping up a fierce war of nerves between South and North Korea over the Cheonan sinking. Attended by all the participating nations of the six-party nuclear talks, the forum was the second diplomatic war between the two Koreas in the global arena, following the U.N. Security Council’s adoption of a presidential statement on the Cheonan incident. In a chairman’s statement released on July 24, the participants of the ASEAN Regional Forum expressed deep concerns over the sinking of the Cheonan resulting from the attack and also expressed condolences to the South Korean government for the loss of lives. However, much like the presidential statement adopted by the U.N. Security Council on July 9, last week’s chairman’s statement did not specify the perpetrator of the attack. Professor Jang talks about the significance of the chairman’s statement.

The chairman’s statement says the Cheonan sinking resulted from an attack, expressing deep concerns about the situation. This reflects the South Korean government’s position, so I’d say this is sort of a diplomatic outcome. But the statement failed to directly point a finger at North Korea as the culprit. Rather, it calls for the peaceful solution to the dispute and urges the concerned countries to return to the six-party nuclear talks. Obviously, this is not in step with the hard-line approach by South Korea and the U.S. The Seoul government, for its part, may find it inevitable to put more pressure on Pyongyang, since it seeks to hold North Korea responsible for the maritime incident. Over the mid-and long-term, however, it’s increasingly important to handle the security conditions on the Korean Peninsula through dialogue. And this was confirmed in the recent chairman’s statement. We should not overlook this point.

But regional diplomacy will likely undergo a cold spell for the time being, as South Korea and the U.S. insist that they continue to pressure North Korea until the North changes its attitude. There is no other option for the two countries, because North Korea continues to deny its involvement in the sinking of the Cheonan and is now attempting to turn the tide by diverting attention to the six-party talks. Accordingly, South and North Korea are expected to engage in fierce confrontation, unable to find common ground on the culpability of the naval disaster and the resumption of the six-way talks. Citing the prolonged, heightening military tension on the peninsula, some are voicing the need for replacing the Korean War armistice with a peace regime. Professor Jang says everybody agrees, in principle, on the conclusion of a peace treaty to formally end the Korean War, but there are many tasks to fulfill, due to the complicated web of interests entangling the two Koreas and the neighboring countries.

First of all, the North Korean nuclear issue should be resolved and the two Koreas must control conventional weapons strictly before a peace treaty is signed. Only then will the peace treaty take effect. The problem is that these goals require mutual confidence among involved countries. So it’s crucial to build trust through dialogue and cooperation based on mutual respect. Of course, it is North Korea that should play a big role in confidence-building.

The tension has built to a climax amid the joint South Korea-U.S. military drill, Washington’s move to impose financial sanctions on North Korea and Pyongyang’s angry pledge to make a “physical response.” 57 years have passed since the signing of the Korean War armistice. It’s time for South and North Korea to seek rational ways to ease the ongoing tension for the sake of lasting peace on their peninsula.



[Interview] Defector Receives Certificate of Traditional Music Instructor
I have a great deal to be thankful for. Frankly speaking, I felt so lonely and uncomfortable adjusting to South Korean society. But now, I feel very proud and honored as I’ve become a traditional music instructor.

This is Jeon Young-ran, head of the North Korean Art Policy Department at the Korea Foundation for Traditional and Intangible Cultural Properties. She is the first North Korean defector to receive a teaching certificate in traditional music granted by the Korea Institute of Traditional Music Education. The main job of traditional music instructors is to teach the theory and practice of Korean classical music at elementary and junior high schools and lifelong education centers. Jeon majored in folk songs and the gayageum, a traditional string instrument, in an art college in North Korea, while serving as the member of a popular art troupe in her home country. After arriving in South Korea in search of freedom, however, she thought she wouldn’t be able to afford such luxuries as playing the gayageum, as it was very hard to accommodate to her new environment. How did she come to start playing the musical instrument again?

It’s been about three years since I came to South Korea. I thought South and North Korea shared many things in common when it comes to traditional music, but I found there were many differences. I studied a 25-string gayageum, which was developed in North Korea. I was wondering what I could do with my musical skill, and I came to envision a kind of fusion music that would combine traditional music in North and South Korea. But first, I had to obtain a teaching certificate so I could teach South Korean students with confidence. That was why I decided to take the exam for a teacher’s license in traditional music.

Jeon studied the theory and practice whenever she had time from work. The most difficult part was preparing for a written examination. Traditional music theory is nearly the same in South and North Korea, but the two sides use different terms to indicate the same musical traits, such as rhythm. She found there were even greater differences between the two sides.

I was very surprised to learn that traditional musicians in South Korea have kept the music history and traditions intact for such a long time. It’s all the more impressive because diverse music genres, from classical music to hip-hop music, have developed in South Korea, a completely open society. In North Korea, on the other hand, traditional music has been modified significantly. It is disappointing that the uniqueness of Korean classical music is absent in North Korean music, which is rather tinged with political elements and regime propaganda.

Also, South and North use different types of gayageum. The South Korean gayageum has 12 strings, while the North Korean one is a 25-string instrument that was modified in the 1980s. When playing the 12-string gayageum, performers are supposed to use the left and right hands separately, with the left hand mainly displaying techniques. In contrast, the 25-string gayageum requires the equal use of both hands. Gayageum performers can even play Western music, thanks to the diverse sounds and performing techniques of the instrument. Nowadays, it is often used for fusion traditional music. As the artist’s brilliant gayageum performance gains fame, more and more elementary and junior high schools nationwide are inviting her to lectures. When she gave her first lecture, she was very concerned that the students might feel the sense of estrangement. Contrary to the worries, the students love her, calling her a “North Korean teacher” and even looking for her autograph. She’s hopes to do many things with her hard-earned certificate.

I have to continue improving my skills in order to better teach traditional music. Playing the North Korean type of gayageum alone won’t appeal to the public here. I’m trying to feature many South Korean songs, including trot music, in my gayageum presentations. I’m also thinking of creating my own works. My hope is to deliver music that would attract both older and younger generations and to let them know that traditional music can harmonize with new music. I also hope to encourage young students to show more interest in Korean classical music. Some day, I hope to manage a gayageum learning institute, if possible.