It has been four years since the so-called
“May 24th Measures” have been imposed on North Korea following the sinking of Cheonan,
and the voices calling for its repeal are becoming louder. It is not only the
opposition party, but also various members of the national assembly and NGOs
who want to see it repealed. The government’s declared position is that North
Korea must acknowledge its culpability in the sinking before any changes will
be made to the sanctions. In reality, the present government is becoming more
liberal towards North Korea in regards to the sanction even though the North has made no such
acknowledgement.
The governmental approval for the Isang Yun
Peace Foundation to visit Pyongyang from September 26th – 29th is one such
example of the government’s liberalizing stance. Another NGO received
governmental approval on September 30 to deliver aid goods through the land
route of Gyeongui Line. It should be noted that the sanctions prohibited South
Koreans from going to North Korea, excluding the Kaesong Complex and Mountain Geumgang
Tourist Region. The sanction also imposed a total prohibition on investments,
excluding aid goods for children and the vulnerable. In light of these
prohibitions, the government is visibly violating its own sanctions
program.
The government has called such measures the
“Liberalization of the May 24 Sanctions.” Regardless of however the government
chooses to spin its own actions, it seems that the government nonetheless feels
the pressure to continue the sanctions. If this is indeed the case, a
comprehensive solution to the sanctions is needed. The government’s current
actions do not offer such a solution. Instead, the discrepancy between word and
action is further adding to the ambiguity surrounding the sanctions.
Resolution of the Cheonan Incident Is Necessary to End the Sanctions
The May 24th sanctions cannot be completely
repealed if the Cheonan incident is not brought to a satisfactory resolution.
The passage of time should not nullify the death of our 46 sailors. One of the
fundamental responsibilities of any government is the protection of the lives
and property of its citizens. The Cheonan incident was a direct violation of
the safety of South Korean citizens, which makes the repealment of the
sanctions impossible if the Cheonan incident is not resolved.
Nonetheless, it is also true that the
sanctions cannot continue indefinitely. It harms inter-Korean relations in the
short term by adding more tension to an already tense enough situation. The
sanctions also harm the long-term prospects of both Koreas by making reunification
prospects more difficult. Hence, the sanctions need to be repealed for the sake
of both short and long term prospects of inter-Korean relations.
Some believe that the incident cannot be resolved
as long as North Korea denies its guilt. However, it is an open secret that the Lee
Myung Bak administration engaged in high levels of secret negotiations with North Korea on reaching a settlement on the incident. Despite the fact that no final
settlement were reached, these negotiations show that reaching a settlement
might be possible even if North Korea does not acknowledge its guilt.
Is the Government Willing to Repeal the Sanctions?
The truth is that North Korea’s willingness to
acknowledge its guilt is not important in whether the sanctions continue or
not. What really is important is whether the government is willing to repeal them.
If they are willing, North Korea should be clearly told that “We are willing to repeal
the sanctions, but cannot do so as long as the Cheonan incident is unresolved.”
Indeed, one reason that North Korea is unwilling to come to the negotiating table on
this matter is because they cannot be certain whether our government is indeed
willing to repeal it or not.
As aforementioned, the government is giving
mixed signals by, on the one hand, continuing to emphasizing North Korea’s
responsibility, and repeating that “all problems can be discussed at the
negotiating table.” On the other hand, the government continues to liberalize
its stance on the sanctions, and hence imparting the impression that the
sanctions will be dissolved regardless of the incident. In light of such
proceedings, it is worrying that not only the sanctions, but also the Cheonan incident,
will remain in limbo indefinitely with no satisfactory conclusion reached on
both issues.
A Head-on Approach to This Problem Is Necessary
Looking at the government’s ambiguous position
on this matter, one wonders whether the government has even come to a
conclusive decision regarding the sanctions. It is true that North Korea’s nuclear
program prevents full-scale cooperation between the two Koreas, but the sanctions
are frustrating inter-Korean relations as they stand. It is uncertain in what
direction the government wants to steer or direct inter-Korean relations.
It is also true that this is not the first
time that North Korea disguised what it really wants. Nonetheless, our government should
also clarify its stance on the sanctions instead of resorting to excessive
criticism of North Korea’s stance. The government should cease its two-faced way of
dealing with the sanctions, but go about this issue on a clear, principled
approach.
* The views expressed in Guest Columns are not necessarily those of Daily NK.
