Startled reactions quickly followed the
initial relief felt by residents in North Korea, particularly those in regions
abutting the border with South Korea, after the admission of “regret” on the
North’s part appeared in the inter-Korean accord aimed at scaling back escalating
tensions on the peninsula, Daily NK has learned.
“At 5:00a.m. on August 25th we received
extensive details about the inter-Korean talks and accord via the fixed cable
Third Broadcast system. This time being no exception, residents in Kangwon Province have always been some of the most sensitive during particularly fractious times because of their proximity to the South,” a source in Kangwon
Province reported to Daily NK on August 26th.
An additional source in the same province
corroborated this news.
“Word regarding the landmine incident and the
subsequent psychological warfare through the loudspeaker broadcasts spread like
wildfire–particularly among residents in regions bordering the South, who were
expecting things to continue to escalate,” she said. “After fully expecting the
typical denial of any involvement in the matter [by the North], imagine our
surprise when we heard the term ‘regret’ stated so clearly.”
During particularly fraught times on the
Korean Peninsula, she explained, people naturally assume that “South Chosun
[South Korea] provoked us first” but this time around, “people pieced together
that that is not the case.”
Against this backdrop, then, her
explanation of residents automatically interpreting the news–which also
appeared in the Party-run publication Rodong Sinmun– as a clear admission of
fault becomes clearer for those of us on the outside looking in.
While
many in South Korea and the broader international community wrangle with the
North’s word choice–that is, using ‘regret’ rather than an explicit apology–
and the implications for inter-Korean relations therein, North Korean residents
took away a far different interpretation, according to Daily NK’s sources.
In fact, those with whom the source spoke
with regarding the inter-Korean developments exclaimed, “So the authorities are capable of admitting their faults!”
Unfortunately, more pressing matters tend to quickly
replace these musings and cut off hushed conversations. “It’s harvest
season and this quasi state of war situation thwarted farmers from their work
and other residents from the market; in other words, everyone took a hit,” she
lamented.
A source in North Hamgyong Province also
weighed in on happenings in his region, which, though less tense than regions
bordering the South, still felt the effects. “Under the quasi state of war,
people had to largely stick within their residential areas and were ordered to
stay on alert. Personal and business travel certificates were strictly limited;
gatherings of almost every manner–drinking, birthday parties, weddings,
etc.–were heavily restricted during this period,” he asserted.
“Now that the high-level talks are over and
the quasi state of war has been lifted we’re all just glad to breathe a little
easier and get on with things. We [North Korea] bluffed about an all-out war
but couldn’t escape conceding in the end.”
