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Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

KIM DAE-JUNG: THE FIRST 100 DAYS
JUNE 1998

9.A Flexible yet firm North Korean Policy

Establishing a North Korean policy based on peace, reconciliation and cooperation

In his first press conference held after election day, President Kim Dae-jung unveiled the three guiding principles of his North Korean policy. First, Seoul will not tolerate military provocation or aggression by Pyongyang. Second, Seoul has no intention of unifying the peninsula through force. Third, inter-Korea relations must be characterized by peace and cooperation. The new Administration is pursuing a flexible yet firm policy towards North Korea, one that is consistent with the ideology of peaceful reunification that the President has advocated since 1971. The new Administration has adopted the three principles of "peace, reconciliation and operation" as the basis of its shift in policy from that of confrontation to peaceful coexistence.

After nearly a half-century of division, conflicts and tension, it is President Kim's conviction that peaceful coexistence, dialogue and exchanges are the best means of inducing North Korea to change its own stance to one of tolerance.

Expanding food aid and inter-Korean trade

As part of President Kim's strategy to separate economics from politics, Seoul is expanding food aid to Pyongyang, and promoting inter-Korean business and trade. Already, on an official level the government has announced that it would increase its contributions to the relief program administered by the United Nations. Seoul is also encouraging private organizations to increase aid.

  • Providing 50,000 tons of corn to the North as part of the World Food Program's fourth North Korean Food Plan (Jan. 1998 - Dec. 1998)

  • Allowing delegates from private groups to visit Pyongyang to hold talks on food aid, and to monitor distribution of food aid; allowing representatives from private organization to join distribution staff of international humanitarian groups

    As part of its efforts to boost inter-Korean trade and economic activity, based on the principle of separation of economic and political policies, the government is:

  • Expanding multiple-visit system; extending permission to contact North Korean residents from 1 to 3 years; reducing waiting time for above procedures

  • Abolishing limits on investment, and removing restrictions on investment in certain sectors

    Establishing a system to promote four-way peace talks in tandem with inter-Korean dialogue

  • President Kim Dae-jung maintains his "flexible yet firm" policy in developing a comprehensive strategy for maintaining dialogue with the North. To that end, the government is:

  • Building a strategy to promote four-way peace talks in tandem with inter-Korean talks

  • Limiting agenda of four-way peace talks to ablishing peace on the Korean peninsula and building military trust

  • Negotiating issues of reconciliation, exchanges and cooperation during direct talks between the two Koreas

  • Establishing new inter-Korean ties through official meetings between Seoul and Pyongyang

  • Establishing a relationship based on reciprocity to resolve mutual mistrust

  • Promoting security and trust by guaranteeing to implement bilateral agreements

  • Preparing comprehensive measures to implement inter-Korean basic agreements

  • Institutionalizing management of inter-Korean dialogue

  • Increasing efficiency on government-wide level for managing dialogue >for North Korea policy

    Winning support for North Korea policy from the United States and other regional powers

  • President Kim Dae-jung is assiduously building multilateral support for his flexible yet firm policy towards North Korea, starting with the United States and Seoul's neighbors. Washington has expressed its confidence in the President's leadership ability and vision, and has fully endorsed his North Korea policy.

    The United States has concluded that the confrontational stance of previous administrations has been less than fruitful. In particular, in contrast to the inconsistent policies and policy conflicts of the Kim Young-sam administration, Washington has called the new Administration's policy realistic and pragmatic. The U.S. not only welcomes President Kim Dae-jung's initiatives and ideas, but it fully expects they will lead to an improvement in relations with Pyongyang. Washington has offered its complete support.

    Both Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and Under Secretary Thomas Pickering affirmed this support during their recent visits to the President on May 1st and April 8th, respectively. Both also pledged to strengthen bilateral ties.

    On April 23rd, a visiting delegation from the U.S. Committee on Foreign Relations also offered its unequivocal support for the Administration's North Korea policy, and suggested that it be the framework for mutual cooperation between Seoul and Washington.

    With this record of firm support, President Kim Dae-jung is confident that his upcoming summit with U.S. President Bill Clinton will accomplish a great deal.

    The leaders of Korea's powerful neighbors, Japan, China and Russia, have also expressed their backing and support for the President.

    This unflagging confidence in and support for the President has resulted in several foreign policy achievements. Japan not only backs Seoul's position towards North Korea policy, but it has been actively cooperating with Seoul to overcome its financial crisis. At the Asia-Europe Meeting in London, President Kim met with Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto for a private summit. The two leaders agreed to try to improve bilateral relations, which have been strained since negotiations over a fisheries accord broke down last year. The President also met earlier with Foreign Minster Keizo Obuchi on March 21st to discuss bilateral conflicts.

    China recently designated Korea as a free-travel zone, as requested during the ASEM summit in London. On April 28, the President met with Vice-Premier Hu Jin-tao, who agreed on the need for greater cooperation between Beijing and Seoul. They concluded that bilateral ties would progress on the basis of greater mutual trust.




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