North Korea has been stepping up conciliatory measures in various areas of late. Pyongyang’s charm offensive started when it invited as many as 80 foreign correspondents to a massive event commemorating the 65th anniversary of its ruling Workers’ Party on October 10 and showed off “an affluent Pyongyang.” In a rare move, North Korea allowed the foreign reporters broadcast the event live. Foreign media agencies, such as the Associated Press and CNN, reported on restaurants filled with families and an amusement park in Pyongyang, noting that it was a rare opportunity to take a peek into another side of North Korea. Also, the reclusive North has invited U.S. experts on Korean Peninsula issues recently, actively engaging in non-governmental diplomatic activities. Dr. Jeon Hyeon-jun from the Korea Institute for National Unification analyzes the North’s such attitude as a rather calculated strategy.

North Korea invited U.S. cable news network CNN and the British news media BBC in order to demonstrate that the nation is fully ready to open itself to the outside world with confidence. Also, the North seems to be focusing on non-governmental diplomacy, since it is uncertain when authorities-level talks will be held. Civilians, including U.S. experts, often made friendly comments about North Korea after visiting the North because they were surprised and impressed by lavish hospitality they enjoyed there. North Korea typically seeks to turn this people-to-people diplomacy into authorities-level diplomacy.

In the meantime, North Korea has reopened inter-Korean aviation hotlines, which had been cut off since May this year. Through the Gaeseong Industrial Complex, Pyongyang notified Seoul last weekend of its decision to reactivate the inter-Korean aviation phone link. A successful test call was made on Monday, October 18. The two reconnected terrestrial hotlines link air traffic control centers in Pyongyang and Incheon. North Korea shut them down in late May in protest of Seoul’s punitive measures against the North over the sinking of the South Korean warship Cheonan. The Unification Ministry says the recent measure is simply for sharing information about foreign flights passing through North Korean skies, not giving much significance to the move. But experts agree that this is in line with a series of friendly overtures by North Korea.

By restoring the inter-Korean air traffic hotlines, North Korea is making a reconciliatory gesture and seeking to prevent any accidental clashes as well. I think North Korea’s general charm offensive has the political aim of improving relations with Seoul and subsequently resolving its economic difficulties. Also, this is viewed as a signal toward the U.S. Washington continues to say that the strained inter-Korean ties should be eased first before improving North Korea-U.S. relations. Therefore, the North is seeking a strategy of mending the relations with South Korea quickly in order to improve relations with the U.S. I’d say North Korea is heading toward Washington by way of Seoul.

As a new conciliatory mood is being perceived on the Korean Peninsula, some are noting a budding atmosphere that is favorable to the resumption of the deadlocked six-party nuclear talks. The positive shift in North Korea’s attitude is clearly seen in North Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye-gwan’s remarks during a meeting with foreign reporters in Beijing on October 15. Kim said that his country was ready to follow through on the September 19 joint statement adopted at the six-party talks in 2005 for denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula. The following day, a spokesman for North Korea’s Foreign Ministry said that Pyongyang remains unchanged in its conviction to implement the September 19 agreement. Dr. Jeon expresses cautions optimism that the six-party talks could reconvene soon, if this favorable mood continues.

South Korea’s position is important now. The government sticks to the principle that it will be hard to improve inter-Korean relations without a solution to the nuclear issue. Seoul also insists that North Korea acknowledge and apologize for inter-Korean mishaps, such as the shooting death of a South Korean tourist at the North’s Geumgang tourism resort and the Cheonan disaster, and also make a promise that no similar incidents occur in the future. It’s no exaggeration to say that South Korea holds the key. But Seoul cannot neglect the stalemate in inter-Korean relations and in the six-party talks forever. Chun Yung-woo, Vice Foreign Minister and South Korea’s former chief nuclear envoy, is the newly named national security adviser, spurring speculation that Seoul may be moving toward re-engagement with the North. The U.S., for its part, may feel pressured to make progress in North Korean issues amid the mid-term elections. Given the circumstances, the six-party talks could resume as early as the end of this year or early next year.

However, South Korea and the U.S. are still skeptical of North Korea’s sincerity. A government official in Seoul downplays North Korea’s commitment to denuclearization, saying that the 2005 joint statement outlines not only a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula but also the conclusion of a peace treaty, which North Korea has repeatedly called for. U.S. State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said in a regular news briefing on October 15 that the U.S. has no intention of removing sanctions on North Korea as an enticement for dialogue. So then, what should the involved countries do for the sake of the swift resumption of the six-party talks and regional stability?

North Korea should be more committed to the nuclear issue and take action to prove its sincerity. To proceed with a power transfer smoothly inside the nation, North Korea must improve relations with the U.S. To this end, the nuclear issue should be resolved. North Korea is well aware of this. In this sense, there is a possibility that Pyongyang could shift its position, although not dramatically. But things won’t work out if South Korea and the U.S. keep pressuring the North. The two countries need to encourage North Korea to change its attitude. This is among the conditions for resuming the six-party talks.

Amid the continued friendly gestures from North Korea, the international community is wondering what the next steps will be. The ongoing reconciliatory mood in the region should serve as the impetus to accomplish the endeavor of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, bringing peace and stability to Northeast Asia.



[Interview] Defector-Turned-Collegian Enjoys New South Korean Life South Korean students are so good at their studies. Many start preparing for the college entrance exam when they are only sixth graders and study for six or seven years for that purpose. On the other hand, students from North Korea are not competitive enough. They also find it hard to receive private education. But I discovered South Korean students have no time for reading because they concentrate too much on studying. As you know, reading books is greatly helpful for writing reports. I always stress the importance of wide reading. I strongly recommend reading newspapers regularly.

This is Kim Geum-ju, a sophomore majoring in business administration at Sungsil University. She emphasizes the importance of reading books whenever younger students from North Korea ask for tips on preparing for the college entrance exam and adjusting to society properly. She believes digging into books and newspapers is the best way to think logically and learn South Korean culture, which is different from that of North Korea. In fact, she reads newspapers every day and reads four to six books a month, putting this guiding principle into practice. Thanks to her good writing skills as a result of extensive reading, Geum-ju was able to study English in Canada this year.

I made a backpack trip to New Zealand when I was a freshman. At the time, I spent my savings. I wrote an essay about the inspiring trip, and later I won the top prize at an essay contest. The prize money was enough to cover the expenses for my New Zealand trip. With the remaining prize money and some scholarships for good grades I earned during the first semester of my freshman year, I studied in Canada this year and even traveled to the U.S. Returning to Canada, I wrote at a local broadcasting station. Thanks to my writings, I was selected as one of the volunteers to work at a school in India. So, I’m going to India as well.

Most North Korean defectors can’t afford to travel overseas, but Geum-ju was different. It’s been only six years since she left her parents in North Korea and defected to South Korea with her relatives in 2004. Here in the South, she has made the most of the opportunities given to her, and her successful resettlement is the envy of younger North Korean students. She has a lot of friends who trust and follow her, thanks to her cheerful spirit and her vigorous passion that keeps her motivated to go through with her tasks.

Hi, I’m Cho Gwang-il, a sophomore studying economics. Geum-ju is always prudent and she is a hard worker. She never leaves things unsettled and has the ability and persistence to complete her job correctly and precisely. That is impressive. It must be hard for her to live alone here, but she helps other people and engages in various group activities. Her life truly inspires me. I hope Geum-ju will continue to keep up with her work. She is a very promising person.

Geum-ju realizes she is succeeding beyond her own limitations as her free spirit guides her through diverse experiences. These days, she is busy preparing to launch a volunteer group with other college students from North Korea. She also writes in her spare time in the hope of writing a book about North Korea some day. Despite her busy schedule, she never misses visiting a childcare center for North Korean children. She feels compassion for young defectors who fail to adapt to South Korean society and suffer from emotional confusion. She hopes that the North Korean children will grow physically and morally healthy.

Most of my close friends are those who are older than I, but now, I’m hoping to make friends with younger people. These days, I take delight in visiting the center for North Korean children. They are so cute! They are only three to six years old, so they may forget about North Korea when they grow up, even though it is their home country. I imagine unification will come about in my generation. I hope to do something in a unified Korea. In particular, I want to focus on children and teenagers. Before unification, I will make efforts to let the South Korean public know more about North Korea and to enhance mutual understanding between the two Koreas, together with my fellow North Korean expatriates.

Geum-ju is using her precious experience as a cultural liaison to realize her own hopes and dreams. Her positive and active way of life is impressive. But most of all, her great enthusiasm gives hope to other newcomers from North Korea.