From the beginning of the year, North Korea has been stepping up its calls for dialogue with South Korea, pushing for talks between the authorities of the two sides. In a joint New Year’s editorial on January 1, North Korea expressed willingness for the prompt resolution of inter-Korean confrontations. Later, a joint statement issued by the North Korean government, political parties and social organizations called for the unconditional and early resumption of authorities-level talks on January 5, stressing that the North is willing to meet anybody, anytime and anywhere. Three days later, on January 8, North Korea’s Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland, an agency dealing with inter-Korean affairs, officially proposed talks between the authorities. Let’s hear from Jeong Wook-sik, representative of Peace Network.

The North Korean committee has habitually denounced South Korea or advocated the expedient slogan of “between Korean people” and the principle of independent unification in the past. For the first time since the 1990s, however, the committee is suggesting inter-Korean dialogue to Seoul, and the proposal contains specific schedules and venues for talks: it proposes holding bilateral talks in Gaeseong sometime between late January and early February. It also expresses deep regret about the dismal state of inter-Korean relations in which dialogue has been suspended under the current South Korean government. This time, North Korea stresses its sincerity in an apparent turnaround from its earlier attitude.

Also in an unusual move, North Korea sent three telephone messages to the South on January 10 to propose holding talks. Coming from North Korea’s Asia Pacific Peace Committee, the first message suggested that the two sides hold working-level talks on January 27 in Gaeseong to prepare for higher-level government talks. The second message under the name of the North Korean Red Cross proposed holding Red Cross talks on February 1 in Munsan, a South Korean city near the inter-Korean border. Lastly, the North Korean director of the inter-Korean economic cooperation council informed Seoul that the North would reopen the council office in Gaeseong on January 12. In this way, North Korea is using various avenues, like statements and messages, to wage a peace offensive. Why is the North so proactive in seeking dialogue with South Korea?

North Korea aims to build a powerful and prosperous nation by 2012. The core of the goal is to create a place where people can have a bowl of rice and meat soup on the dining table. To achieve this goal, it’s essential for the impoverished North to resolve the nation’s severe economic difficulties as well as the chronic food shortages. To this end, North Korea needs to improve relations not only with China and Russia but also with South Korea, the U.S. and Japan. Without any improvement in inter-Korean ties, it’s hard for the North to make progress in relations with the U.S., those with Japan and in the six-party nuclear talks. That is why Pyongyang is so active in dialogue with Seoul. If the South accepts North Korea’s dialogue proposals, that will be fine with the North. Even if South Korea doesn’t, the North could criticize Seoul for avoiding dialogue and pass the buck for increasing tension. That is, North Korea is using its dialogue overtures for dual purposes.

The South Korean government remained circumspect about the series of recent dialogue overtures from North Korea. In a counter move, however, it has proposed the inclusion of the nuclear issue and North Korea’s artillery barrage on the South Korean island of Yeonpyeong in the agenda. In a statement from the Unification Ministry on January 10, South Korea downplayed Pyongyang’s proposals, calling the peace offensive nothing more than a tactic lacking in sincerity. For genuine dialogue, Seoul suggested that the two sides first discuss Pyongyang’s denuclearization and necessary measures against North Korea’s military provocations such as the sinking of the South Korean warship Cheonan and the artillery attack on Yeonpyeong Island. That is, South Korea refrained from making an immediate response to North Korea’s hectic dialogue proposals aimed at turning the situation around, and then launched a counter-offensive by bringing up the Cheonan and Yeonpyeong issues. Diplomatic experts explain the war of nerves between the two Koreas in the context of the China-U.S. summit to be held next week.

The Lee Myung-bak administration maintains that inter-Korean dialogue must come first before resuming the six-party nuclear talks, and the multilateral negotiations will be possible only after North Korea takes sincere measures toward denuclearization. Ahead of the China-U.S. summit next week, scheduled for January 19, South and North Korea seem to be waging a tug-of-war. North Korea is enthusiastic about inter-Korean talks in an apparent bid to help ensure China has the upper hand during the upcoming summit with the U.S. Based on North Korea’s attitude, Beijing could request the U.S. to be more committed to persuading South Korea. I think North Korea proposed inter-Korean dialogue to throw its weight behind China.

In the meantime, U.S. special representative for North Korea policy Stephen Bosworth recently wrapped up his trip to South Korea, China and Japan. In South Korea, the first leg of his three-nation visit to Northeast Asia, Bosworth reaffirmed the principle that an improvement in inter-Korean ties should precede the resumption of the six-party talks. He then visited China and Japan to discuss ways to settle peace on the Korean Peninsula and push for the six-party talks. Some experts say Bosworth’s recent Asia trip signals a shift in Washington’s North Korea policy toward dialogue. According to the New York Times, Bosworth said during his visit to Beijing that he was hopeful that serious talks on the North Korean nuclear issue would begin soon. Attention now swings to whether a warm diplomatic breeze will blow into the Korean Peninsula following a series of conciliatory gestures from North Korea and Washington’s move to restart dialogue. Mr. Jeong says there are some tasks to tackle before the resumption of dialogue.

South Korea overwhelms North Korea in many ways, including in national power and relations with foreign countries. So it’s necessary for Seoul to approach dialogue with North Korea with greater confidence. South and North Korea remain far apart on the Cheonan incident. The two sides could find some common ground if South Korea focuses more on the prevention of recurrence of such incidents than on getting North Korea’s acknowledgement of its responsibility and apology for the provocation. Seoul has shown a strong resolve to put the nuclear issue on the agenda for inter-Korean talks. To fulfill this goal, the two sides should build a much greater degree of mutual trust and confidence because the crucial nuclear issue requires a strategic decision from North Korea. In this vein, Seoul may consider exchanging special envoys with Pyongyang and moreover, holding higher-level of talks like an inter-Korean summit.

This year, inter-Korean relations are pivoting from confrontation to dialogue as North Korea has officially proposed “unconditional” talks between the governments. South Korea should work out an appropriate strategy aimed at taking the initiative in regional diplomacy and in the ongoing development in inter-Korean ties.


[Interview] Defector Dreams of Becoming Human Rights Lawyer I had a hunch that I would make it, but I wasn’t quite sure. I really was delighted and happy to hear the news that I passed the exam.

On the first floor of the College of Law building in Yonsei University, western Seoul, Lee Young-su, a senior law student, smiles brightly when he finds his name on the list of those who passed the exam for the Law School of Kyungpook National University. But tears soon begin to well up in the corners of his eyes. He is thinking of his mother who was left behind when he escaped North Korea in 2002.

Upon making sure that I passed the exam, I was reminded of my mother. She would praise and encourage me, if she were with me. The absence of my mom broke my heart. I felt sad, imagining how happy she would be if I had informed her of the good news.

Born in Hamheung, South Hamgyeong Province in North Korea in 1983, Young-su lost his father at the tender age of six. With his mother and brothers, he led a hard life, engaging in farming and peddling for his livelihood. He still vividly remembers the dreadful food crisis in the 1990s when his family found it hard even to make a living.

There was a TV set in my house at the time. That was the biggest asset of my family. My mother sold it and, with half the money, she left home for peddling. With the remaining money, I followed one of my acquaintances to Hwanghae Province, south of Pyongyang, traveling from town to town selling my wares in the streets. I was attacked by a swindler and a robber, who robbed me of money and clothes. I was even beaten by them. I had nothing to wear in the biting cold so I went from house to house begging for clothes, rice and kimchi. I went through all sorts of hardships but I managed to survive somehow. In nearly a month, I was able to return home safely.

One year after he returned home, in June of 1997, he decided to cross the Tumen River into China with his uncle to get food. Unfortunately, his uncle lost his life in the flooded river in the rainy season and Young-su was all alone again in China. There, the young boy moved around construction sites doing manual labor. Young-su was able to come to South Korea in 2002 with the help of a South Korean missionary he had happened to meet in China. He entered a high school in Busan and began to dream of becoming a human rights lawyer, calling back the dire human rights situation of North Korean defectors in China. After years of strenuous efforts, he was able to graduate Yonsei University’s College of Law and is ready to go on to a law school. There are a myriad of obstacles for him to overcome to realize his dream, including school expenses. But he believes that he can find a way if he continues working toward his dream.

I’m trying to resolve problems whenever I face them, as I’ve always done. I’m ready to tide over any difficulties. I’m confident about that. I think nothing can equal a human life. I hope to become a lawyer to contribute to protecting basic human rights and the dignity of each and every person, which I believe are more valuable than the whole world. I hope to devote myself to promoting the human rights of North Korean defectors wandering in third world countries.

This young man is nurturing his dream, overcoming difficulties with perseverance and sincere effort. It seems the future may be a little brighter for a unified Korea and improved human rights for North Korean defectors.