Different Paths Followed by the Two Koreas

Night Image of the Two Koreas After Five Decades

North Korea

Communist system The world most isolated regime & economic backwardness Dictatorship and human rights issues Nuclear development & ‘military-first policy’

“Juche” (Self Reliance) Ideology: Symbolizes autonomy or identity in ideology, independence in politics, self-sufficiency in economy and reliance on Korea’s own forces in national defense. Characteristics of North Korean system: - Acceptance of hereditary succession of power - Most militarized country among communist countries - Anti-American education

South Korea

One of the most successful postwar economic and political development cases 12 th largest economy (member of OECD) 12 th largest trading country 11 th in global competitiveness (WEF 2007) 1 st in university enrollment 1 st in broadband penetration (90% of households) Fully democratized political system

IDEOLOGY Left/Progressive –Democracy Anti- authoritarianism –Nationalism Reconciliation w/ NK –Labor (Minjung) Left/Progressive –Democracy Anti- authoritarianism –Nationalism Reconciliation w/ NK –Labor (Minjung) Right/Conservative –Development Mobilization –Anti- Communism S.Korean State –Capital (e.g.Chaebol) Right/Conservative –Development Mobilization –Anti- Communism S.Korean State –Capital (e.g.Chaebol)

2007 Election Lee Myung-bak: Conservative GNP –48.7% –11.49 million votes Chung Dong-young: UNDP –26.2% –6.17 million votes Lee Hoe-chang: Ultra- Conservative Independent –15.6%

Recent Developments in Inter-Korean Relations

Inter-Korea Agreements & Documents, 1953-Present Total 92 agreements & documents: –1953: Armistice Agreement –1972: Inter-Korean Joint Communique – (11 on Inter-Korean Basic Agreement) – (9 on DPRK-US Agreed Framework-related) – (69+1 since the Summit in 2000)

South Korea’s Policy Towards North Korea From confrontation to reconciliation Engagement policy of North Korea during the last decade · dialogue and cooperation · confidence building · peaceful coexistence · prosperity on the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia Peaceful and gradual process of unification

Sunshine Policy Principles: 1)Not allow any armed provocation hampering peace on the peninsula 2)Don’t absorb North Korea 3)Push reconciliation and cooperation with North beginning with those areas which can be most easily agreed upon

Sunshine Policy Engagement Policy Reconciliation and Cooperation Peaceful co-existence not unification Dialog and Deterrence Separation of Economics and Politics Promote peace and mutual prosperity instead of inciting mutual enmity and conflict

Inter-Korean Relations Humanitarian assistance · South Korea is the biggest donor county to the North People’s exchanges · In 2005, 88,000 South Koreans visited the North (more than the total number of visitors during the previous five decades) · 1.5m South Korean tourists to Mt. Geumgang since 1998

SK Government Aid to North Korea, YearAid Amount (USD)Note ,000,000 Rice (150,000 MT) direct ,050,000 Grain, P milk via UN ,670,000 Grain, P milk via UN ,000,000 Grain, flour via UN ,250,000 Fertilizer - direct ,630,000 Fertilizer – direct ,450,000 Fertilizer, grain, underwear, medicine – D ,750,000 Fertilizer, grain, med – Direct ,020,000 Med, cash (Unicef), fertilizer, grain -D ,000 Yongchon ER supplies, medicines, etc.-D

SK NGO Aid to North Korea, ’95-’04 YearAid amountNote 9/95-5/97 4,960,000Food, blanket-via IFRC 6/97-7/97 8,500,000Food, fertilizer-Korean RC 8/97-10/97 8,900,000Food, vitamins-KRC 3/98 170,000Fertilizer (800 mt)-KRC 4/98-6/98 9,350,000Food, potato,socks–KRC 9/98-12/9811,330,000Corn, cows; NGO-food ,630,000 Indep (10 NGOs)- diverse KRC (24 NGOs) -food, clothing, med ,130,000Independ (13 NGOs); KRC (16 NGOs) ,940,000Indep (19 NGOs); KRC ($238,333) ,170,000Indep (25 NGOs); KRC ($692,308) ,610,000Indep (29 NGOs); KRC ($583,333) 2004 (Jan-Apr)37,510,000Indep (19 NGOs); KRC ($491,667)

Economic Cooperation

Economic cooperation: Inter-Korean trade volume : 1.35 billion USD (South Korea has become the 2 nd largest trading partner of the North within a decade) * North Korea’s Trade Volume : 4 billion USD Gaeseong Industrial Complex :  a collaborative project

Gaeseong, the city next to the DMZ

Inter-Korean Summit Meetings (2000, 2007) Major results of the 2007 Summit: (Peace building) · cooperation on denuclearization and establishment of a peace regime · reduction of military tension and the holding of a defense ministers’ meeting · holding Prime Minister’s meeting (Economic cooperation) · creating a Special Peace and Cooperation Zone in the West Sea · constructing ship-building complexes and repairing roads · expanding Gaeseong Industrial Complex (Reconciliation) · expanding the reunion of separated families · promoting exchanges and cooperation in social and cultural areas

North Korean Nuclear Issue

6 Party talks : Two Koreas, US, Japan, China, Russia Progress: (North Korea’s action to be taken by the end of 2007) · disable key nuclear facilities · provide a complete and correct declaration of all its nuclear programs (Other Six Party’s action) · economic and energy assistance up to the equivalent of 1 million tons of heavy fuel oil · discuss normalization of US-North Korea relations, Japan-North Korea relations (Future course of action) · hold a Six Party Ministerial Meeting · dismantle North Korea’s nuclear facilities

Long-term Goals · to establish a permanent peace regime on the Korean Peninsula · to develop a multilateral security forum in Northeast Asia