Despite the fact that the amount of aid funded by the Roh Moo Hyun government is more than double that of the Kim Dae Jung government, North Korea still fired missiles and launched a nuclear experiment in October, 2006.<\/p>\n
On the 27th, the Export-Import Bank (Eximbank) submitted a report on ‘South-North Cooperation Fund to the National Finance and Economy Committee assemblyman Ahn Taek Soo which indicated that the amount of aid to North Korea during the 4 years since 2003 had reached a total of 1.24 trillion won (US$1.3bn), 2.27 times more than the 545.9bn won (US$587mn) funded by the 5 year term of the DJ Administration. <\/p>\n
Including credit assistance, the current administration has aided North Korea with a total of 2,392.5bn won (US$2.573bn), a 28% increase from the 5 years served by the Kim Dae Jung administration which offered 1,856.7bn won. Even within this year, the government plans to send 870.4bn won to North Korea through Korea Eximbank. Having received the trust for the South-North cooperation fund from the Ministry of Unification, the Korea Eximbank has begun administrative preparations to transfer the funds. <\/p>\n
Much more determined that the Kim Dae Jung government, the Roh Moo Hyun government\u2019s comprehensive North Korea Policy maintains most of the underlying factors of the \u201cSunshine policy\u201d though the direct term is not used. The Sunshine policy was drafted by the Kim Dae Jung government in attempt to rectify tensions between South-North relations and to further reform and develop North Korea. <\/p>\n
The term \u201cSunshine policy\u201d was first used by the former President Kim Dae Jung during his visit to England in a speech made at a London University on April 3rd 1998. Since then, the phrase has been used widely across South Korean politics. This notion was originally derived from the traveler in Aesop\u2019s Fables. Similar to the fables, it is not a strong wind (a hard line policy) that will get the traveler to take off his jacket. Rather, it is the idea that warm sunshine (an appeasement policy) is needed. <\/p>\n
In that case, has North Korea taken off its jacket thanks to the aged-old sunshine? On the contrary, rather than taking off its jacket, analysts and commoners alike agree that North Korea has worn many more layers of clothing. Despite the fact that the Roh Moo Hyun government has poured more than double the amount of funds in the past 4 years than the whole duration of the previous government, North Korea has only responded by scaring the people with a \u201cnuclear threat.\u201d<\/p>\n
Though the government bases the developments of Mt. Geumgang tourism and Kaesong Industrial Complex as a major factor to changes in South-North relations, one cannot deny that the results by the Kim Dae Jung and Roh Moo Hyun government is rather minuscule in comparison to the South Korean taxpayers toil and sweat produced over the past 9 years. Putting aside North Korea\u2019s reform and development, Inter-Korea relations has not matured or advanced to a level in which South Koreans can be proud of. <\/p>\n
Whenever given the opportunity, Unification Minister Lee Jae Jung asserts \u201cnormalization of South-North relations, and customization and systemization to bilateral talks.\u201d However, this is merely a hope by the South Korean government and rather too often, the North Korea creates block to South-North relations. When South Korea claimed it would delay the support of rice and fertilizer at the 19th Inter-Korea Cabinet Talks following North Korea\u2019s missile launch, the South-North relations froze immediately. At the 21st Inter-Korea Talks, a similar path was taken. <\/p>\n
Though North Korea is currently receiving far more aid support than under the Kim Dae Jung government\u2019s Sunshine policy, the unstable inter-Korea relations is no different to a house of cards. Whether in the past or present, whenever North Korea finds itself in an advantage, they are more than happy to talk. Whenever they find themselves even at a slight disadvantage, they quickly turn their back and give the silent treatment. <\/p>\n
In addition to this, North Korea has been inciting pro-North Korea forces in South Korea in order to prolong South Korea\u2019s sunshine government by forming a \u201canti-conservatives forces\u2019 league\u201d attempting to intervene in the presidential election. At the June 15 event held in Pyongyang, members of the Grand National Party were obstructed to take the honorary seats by the North Korean authority. <\/p>\n
Under a blazing scorching sunshine, the Kim Dae Jung and Roh Moo Hyun government have for the past 9 years supplied North Korea with 1,785.9bn won (US$1.92bn) in aid produced from the pockets of South Korean taxpayers. Nonetheless, the unstable South-North relations merely reinforces the true nature of the ties as a house of cards, <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Despite the fact that the amount of aid funded by the Roh Moo Hyun government is more than double that of the Kim Dae Jung government, North Korea still fired missiles and launched a nuclear experiment in October, 2006. On the 27th, the Export-Import Bank (Eximbank) submitted a report on ‘South-North Cooperation Fund to the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":166,"featured_media":4505,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[644],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4503","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-analysis-and-opinion"],"yoast_head":"\n