Attention is being drawn to how the recent South Korea-U.S. summit in Washington will influence the soon-to-be-held North Korea-U.S. dialogue, the second such meeting this year. South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and U.S. President Barrack Obama held a summit on October 13 and agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue, while reconfirming the U.S.’ defense commitment to South Korea. The two leaders also discussed ways to improve deterrence against aggressions from North Korea, such as the two military provocations against South Korea last year. They also promised to operate the ‘Extended Deterrence Policy Committee’ on a consistent basis and to further develop it. Here’s Dr. Hong Hyun-ik at the Sejong Institute to explain the significance and role of the committee, which was launched this year.

The terms, ‘extended’ and ‘deterrence,’ could be viewed in a similar context as the U.S. nuclear umbrella. That is, when an ally of the U.S. is under attack, the U.S. will counterattack or punish the enemy at the same level of retaliation as in the event of a nuclear attack on U.S. territory. Being fearful of such retaliation, the hypothetical enemy is deterred from attacking an ally of the U.S. Through the new institutional grid of allowing immediate responses to emergencies, South Korea and the U.S. will brace for any nuclear threat from North Korea, which has nearly achieved capabilities to possess nuclear weapons.

The two heads of state also reaffirmed that all of North Korea’s nuclear activities, including its uranium enrichment program, violate the resolutions of the U.N. Security Council and the 2005 joint statement, in which North Korea agreed to give up its nuclear programs. After the summit, Lee said South Korea would maintain its principle-based North Korea policy consistently. Meanwhile, Obama warned that North Korea would only deepen its isolation if it continues to violate international obligations but if the North moves toward denuclearization, it would earn an opportunity. Diplomatic experts explain that the summit has reconfirmed the previous positions of Seoul and Washington on the nuclear issue and helped cement mutual cooperation further.

The governments of South Korea and the U.S. have implemented bilateral cooperation faithfully. During the recent summit, President Obama said he agreed on South Korea’s stance toward the North. That is, the six-party nuclear talks shouldn’t end up becoming dialogue for dialogue’s sake and it would be reasonable that the six-party talks resume only after the involved countries confirm substantial measures aimed at inducing North Korea to give up its nuclear programs. Also, Seoul and Washington believe North Korea should admit to the fact that its nuclear activities, including the uranium enrichment program, run counter to the 2005 joint statement, even if the six-party talks may resume. The South Korea-U.S. summit shows that the two allies remain in complete agreement on how to address the nuclear issue and that they are committed to work together to resolve the problem.

After the South Korea-U.S. summit, the eyes of the diplomatic arena are turning to North Korea-U.S. dialogue. Following the first round of high-level dialogue between the two countries this year, the second such talks will reportedly take place in Geneva next week. The first round of dialogue was held in New York in late July. As a preliminary step for resuming the six-party talks, Seoul and Washington continue to demand that North Korea halt its nuclear and long-range missile tests, stop its uranium enrichment program and allow the return of inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Depending on North Korea’s attitude, involved countries may determine whether the six-party talks will reconvene within the year.

The first round of North Korea-U.S. dialogue was more like a dress rehearsal, in which the two sides tapped each other’s opinion. The second talks will be more like a main session that could directly lead to the six-party talks. The latest South Korea-U.S. summit showed that the two countries are entirely united on North Korea-related issues, demonstrating strong bilateral alliance no matter what policies North Korea may adopt. In consideration of this, South Korea won’t be sidelined at the future six-party talks. That is, Obama promised Lee to refrain from making any hasty concessions to North Korea just to restart the six-party talks. Therefore, even if Pyongyang and Washington meet for a second time, it may be hard to resume the six-party talks right away.

North Korea and the U.S. have already started a war of nerves. The North has criticized the U.S. through the media since early this month. The North’s Korean Central News Agency said on October 4 that the North couldn’t find any sincerity in the U.S. because Washington kept insisting on preconditions for dialogue unilaterally. The news agency also said on October 8 that the world is moving toward developing nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, calling the pursuit a sovereign state’s legitimate right that cannot be deterred. In response, the U.S. delivered a pressuring message to Pyongyang, as Obama said that oppressive regimes will collapse eventually and North Korea is no exception. Experts say it will be increasingly difficult for the two sides to find common ground if their war of nerves continues at the negotiation table.

South Korea and the U.S. continue to support sanctions and pressure on North Korea. But it doesn’t seem the North feels as much pressure as South Korea and the U.S. expect, because China, which accounts for 60 percent of foreign trade of North Korea, is supporting Pyongyang with economic assistance as well as the provision of food and oil. The pressure upon North Korea doesn’t seem so heavy, compared with the efforts of South Korea and the U.S. That is why North Korea can hold out in the face of unfavorable circumstances. If the U.S. continues to put pressure on North Korea, we cannot rule out the possibility that the North may give up on negotiations with the U.S. altogether and resort to brinkmanship tactics again, like another nuclear test or long-range missile tests.

Now that South Korea and the U.S. have strengthened their alliance further, Dr. Hong points out the need to be more committed to enhancing diplomacy with China and Russia, which have close relations with North Korea. In other words, amid the deepening South Korea-U.S. relations, it will be increasingly necessary for South Korea to convey its balanced foreign policy to neighboring countries, including China.

Through the summit, South Korea and the U.S. have upgraded their alliance to a higher level, to a so-called comprehensive, strategic partnership for the 21st century. Cooperation between the two countries is smoother than ever before. Japan, too, is cooperating in Seoul’s North Korea policy. The problem is the attitudes of China and Russia, which could wield great influence on North Korea. The two countries apparently stand apart from South Korea-Japan-U.S. cooperation. While maintaining friendly relations with the U.S., Seoul needs to come up with a strategy to persuade China and Russia to cooperate in its policy toward Pyongyang and to show more commitment to the nuclear issue and regional peace. Now is the time to work out such a balanced, pragmatic foreign policy.


[Interview]Funeral Company for Separated Families
Mr. Kang Young-su is answering the customers’ questions over the phone. Previously, Kang engaged in construction and trade businesses related to China and North Korea. But on September 1, he opened ‘Hanminjok Funeral,’ a funeral company for families separated by the Korean War and those who left their North Korean hometowns long ago, the first of its kind in the nation. Hanminjok means ‘Korean people.’ Kang says he set up this company for those home-lost people hoping to be buried in North Korea after they die.


There were about 500 funeral companies in Korea, but the number has been reduced to 350 since the revision of the relevant law last year. But there was not a single funeral company for separated families, so I decided to establish one. My company offers funeral services, of course, but that’s not the main goal. I set up the company to create a kind of a center for separated families, where they confirm whether their lost relatives are dead or alive and they are reunited with their loved ones. We’re just like other funeral companies. Plus, we provide additional services I just mentioned. This is a unique feature of my funeral company.

As he said, Kang plans to carry out special projects for separated families, in addition to general funeral services. In particular, he is considering sending the remains of separated people to North Korea after they die so they can be buried under the trees in their hometowns.

So many people passed away without setting foot in their hometowns again, which they had missed dearly, even in their dreams. As I know, about 4,000 separated family members die each year. We came up with the project of returning the remains of those hoping to return home even after death. For those who have a family here in South Korea, half of the remains can be sent to North Korea and the other half can be buried here. In North Korea, the remains will be buried under the trees, in the form of woodland burial.

Other programs of the company include helping separated families in South Korea confirm the life status and whereabouts of their long-lost kin in North Korea and assisting the reunions of the split families in China. It is said that those projects will be carried out through a China-based company engaging in North Korea-related businesses. Kang is a separated family member himself, with his grandfather and relatives living in North Korea.

As a member of a divided family, I’ve seen my parents suffer from the pain of separation for the last sixty years. I had expected that some people or the government would work for separated families. But I’ve reached the limits of my patience. It’s not right to just wait. I thought I should do something for separated families myself. It’s a shame to expect somebody else to do it.

Kang plans to carry out his projects while watching the relations between South and North Korea, as exchanges with North Korea have been suspended since the sinking of the South Korean warship Cheonan last year. Kang says he has more plans in mind.

We’ve been preparing for this business for 18 years. Not only people in South Korea but also separated families overseas, including those in Japan and the U.S., can be our customers. There are an estimated 100-thousand separated families in Los Angeles alone. A number of ethnic Koreans abroad had left their hometowns in North Korea during the Korean War. But many ethnic Koreans are hoping to return to South Korea, too. We’ll expand the customer base to ethnic Koreans overseas, as the name of my company ‘Hanminjok’ or ‘Korean people’ indicates. Also, we have to watch how inter-Korean relations and the government’s diplomacy unfold. While the business has good intentions, it should also be helpful in the government’s policy.

About 30 percent of separated families in South Korea have already passed away, and most members of such families are getting older. There’s not much time left to resolve the humanitarian issue. As Kang wishes, his business will help the members of divided families attain their long-cherished desire, even if only in a small way.