A liberal president’s election in South Korea appears to have kindled a conciliatory mood among North Korean officials, as well as hope for improved relations with the South.
With President Lee Jae-myung seeking to restore the Comprehensive Military Agreement (CMA) to ease military tensions between the two sides, a high-ranking North Korean official who recently spoke with Daily NK said such a plan may be feasible.
The CMA was signed by South and North Korea on Sept. 19, 2018, and then scrapped under the watch of deposed president Yoon Suk-yeol.
“The CMA was originally envisioned by the Democratic Party and implemented by (former President) Moon Jae-in, [. . .] who spoke with such conviction and greeted the people with such warmth on his visit to Pyongyang,” the North Korean official said. “If they’re committed to peace and mutual respect, we could consider (restoring the CMA).”
North Korean officials closely associate the CMA with former president Moon Jae-in. Since Lee Jae-myung is from the Democratic Party (just like Moon) and since the Democratic Party, which was behind the CMA, is currently in power, those officials think it would be possible to discuss reinstating that agreement, depending on the intentions of the South Korean government.
Daily NK’s interview with the North Korean official is presented below in Q&A format.
Daily NK: President Lee Jae-myung said in his inaugural address that “peace, no matter the price, is better than war,” promising to “open channels of communication with North Korea and build peace on the Korean Peninsula through dialogue and cooperation.” Is North Korea also willing to engage in dialogue with the South Korean government?
“As for whether dialogue is possible or not, that’s essentially something for Kim Jong Un to decide. That said, no country prefers war to dialogue. It’s important for South Korea’s new administration to show whether it can adopt an independent line without the meddling of outside forces. I think dialogue would be possible as long as it doesn’t adopt a servile position toward those forces.”
Daily NK: What do you think of the possibility of restoring the CMA?
“The CMA was originally envisioned by the Democratic Party and implemented by [former] President Moon Jae-in, an icon of peace who spoke with such conviction and greeted the people with such warmth on his visit to Pyongyang, so we could restore and uphold it or even discuss a better agreement. If they’re committed to peace and mutual respect, we could consider that.”
Daily NK: Two weeks have passed since Lee Jae-myung became president. Have the Party, Ministry of State Security or Ministry of Foreign Affairs received any orders about South Korea?
“The Party, Ministry of State Security and Ministry of Foreign Affairs haven’t been informed of any new policies. The ‘enemy narrative’ is being maintained about ‘two hostile states’ and South Korea being a country to be occupied rather than reunited with. For now, we’re monitoring the practical steps taken by the Lee administration, including its North Korea policy and appointments. We definitely regard Lee Jae-myung as being distinct from the conservative thugs intent on crushing our Republic [North Korea] like Lee Myung-bak, Park Geun-hye, and Yoon Suk-yeol. Lee is regarded as a more amicable figure because he has adopted a positive attitude toward joint ventures and exchange with us since his time in local government. But the most crucial part of our analysis of a new South Korean administration is its dependence upon the United States. We’re watching to see how pro-American he is.”
Daily NK: Would North Korea be actively interested in any offers of economic cooperation or assistance from the South Korean government?
“Direct cash transfers would be out of the question, but based on past precedent, trade or indirect assistance by means of civilian cooperation channels or joint ventures overseas ought to be feasible. I think anything is possible once we’ve set our mind to it. That could be organized by South Korea’s Ministry of Unification or local governmental bodies, but it could really take any form whatsoever, such as the involvement of foreign organizations or companies or groups run by Korean Japanese or overseas Chinese.”
Daily NK: How do North Korean officials view the new administration in South Korea? Are there hopes for an improvement in inter-Korean relations?
“High-ranking officials who are knowledgeable about Korean Peninsula affairs regard Lee Jae-myung as presenting opportunities both politically and militarily speaking. But the important thing is putting words into practice. We’re waiting to see whether Lee can back up his words with actions — in other words, whether he really wants peace. For now, the prevailing view is that we’re open to limited dialogue as long as we’re offered a form of cooperation that’s guaranteed to be beneficial for us.”
Daily NK: The nominee for director of the National Intelligence Service (NIS) is Lee Jong-seok, former minister of unification and architect of the Sunshine Policy, as well as a staunch proponent of dialogue. Do you regard him as a figure who can help repair inter-Korean relations?
“Older officials remember Lee Jong-seok as someone who framed the policies of former president Kim Dae-jung. While Lee Jong-seok has interacted with us in the past, it remains to be seen whether his past experience will help restore a relationship of trust in the Lee Jae-myung administration. But I do think we stand to gain from adjustments to the NIS’ intelligence and espionage priorities. Nevertheless, we need to remain on guard because the NIS is fundamentally anti-Communist in nature.
