A lawmaker says that putting an end to the so-called “sunshine” engagement policy would be an effective way to isolate, and as a result, pressure North Korea to open up to the international community.

Over the last ten years, two previous liberal South Korean governments supported the engagement policy toward the North.

Lawmaker Song Young-sun of the Pro-Park Alliance said that a South Korean-Chinese free trade deal is the most persuasive tool Seoul could use to convince the North to open up its economy.

In her contribution to the Washington Times, she denounced the engagement policy as an exercise in "good-faith and unconditional assistance" for North Korea.

She said that U.S. and Chinese foreign affairs officials should put top priority on persuading the North to reform itself.

Song added that the new U.S. administration must cooperate with China if it hopes to be successful in its negotiations with North Korea.