North Korea has proposed an inter-Korean dialogue again as a hackneyed rhetorical tactic, and the South’s Defense Ministry has responded in a resolute manner that it would firmly keep the position that the prerequisite for any peace talks is the North’s denuclearization.
As the two Koreas have repeated their routine between tensions and talks, there is nothing noteworthy in the recent talks offer and the response. Though Seoul has rejected the proposal, it has not completely disregarded the message from Pyongyang.
It does not seem that the Defense Ministry has completely shut down the room for talks. If only the communist country shows flexibility on the nuclear weapons issue, an inter-Korean breakthrough may be found.
For now, South Korea is not in a position to easily accept the proposal given that the international community is participating in U.N.-led economic sanctions on North Korea after nuclear and missile tests earlier this year.
So the inter-Korean relations have developed into a matter of credibility on the global stage. Any hasty move to improve the relations would make other countries regard South Korea as a pathetic country lacking principles.
In this context, the ministry’s reply to the North was appropriate. Unless there is no proactive message from the North that could be acceptable by the U.N. and other sanction participants, there is no need to hold dialogue such as a working level military meeting.
Pyongyang, on the coattails of holding its first ruling party congress in 36 years, had called for the military talks Friday and repeated the offer the next day, this time specifying the potential date as late May or early June.
A sufficient wait-and-see stance is necessary for the South until the Kim Jong-un regime conveys a conciliatory gesture toward the international community.
The South Korean military, simultaneously, should raise its readiness posture in consideration of the past cases when Pyongyang conducted provocations after pretending to be seeking reconciliation.
The North should also be aware that any provocations via some smoke-screen tactics would incur its total isolation in the global community. A silly option to make a military provocation or another missile test my trigger tougher economic sanctions.
The “sunshine policy” toward the North during the liberal Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun administrations has proved to be no longer effective, though the engagement stance has contributed to easing tensions on the peninsula for some periods.
As a result, the Park Geun-hye administration’s stern action may be gaining support from a large section of citizens.
By consistentlyy coordinating with the international community, the government has to take a firm stance, dropping habitual verbal retaliation.
