Ever since North Korea and South Korea were created in 1948, the U.S. has always regarded North Korea as its adversary, with whom we are still legally at war. South Korea, on the other hand, has moved from North Korea's adversary to a more intermediary role between the U.S. and North Korea. Why does South Korea apparently trust the North Korean regime to some extent at least, and is this a good development?
This concern about the reversal of South Korea's adversarial stance with the North Koreans came up June 14 at a forum of Korean experts, held at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. The main topic was the stalled 6-party nuclear talks on North Korea's nuclear programs and weapons.
In 1994, South Korea (and the U.S.) had hopes after the death of North Korean dictator, Kim Il-Sung, the North Korean regime would collapse. When his son, Kim Jong-Il, consolidated his power, it became evident that the totalitarian regime would survive for some time to come. Then in 1998, South Korean President Kim Dae-jung introduced his "Sunshine" policy, which made South Korea less critical towards its adversary, Communist North Korea. Through the Sunshine policy, South Korea has provided much humanitarian aid, and even appears to want to prevent the collapse of the regime of Kim Jung-Il, and its one man ruler. In 2000, both leaders held a well publicized summit meeting.
Continued by Kim Dae-jung's successor, Roh Moo-hyun, the "Sunshine" policy has as its aim the reunification of the Korea peninsula through short-term reconciliation and peaceful cooperation. Dr. Daniel Pinkston, director of the East Asia Nonproliferation Program of the Monterey Institute of International Studies, said in 2003 that Kim Jong-il "has been identified as the leader working tirelessly for Korean unification. This is a very emotional issue for Koreans, and it makes it very difficult if not impossible to challenge him."
Most likely, the South Korean government concluded that even with famine, and economic deprivation the North Korean regime was not going to disintegrate, and so appeasing North Korea was devised in order to reduce military tensions. But it has had as a consequence the weakening of the US-South Korean alliance.
South Korean Scholar Attacks "Sunshine" Policy
The embrace of South Korea's Sunshine doctrine baffles Sung Yoon Lee from the Korea Institute (Harvard University). He asked rhetorically, "Can there be general reconciliation and peace between a hardened, closed, isolated, dysfunctional dictatorship and a thriving democracy, under the rule of law and market capitalism?"
At first sight, it's puzzling to understand how our ally, South Korea, which was saved from being overrun by the Communists in the Korean war (1950-53), could regard North Korea as anything but an enemy that needs containment. The North Korea is a totalitarian, one party state and personality cult of its deceased leader Kim Il-sung and son, Kim Jong-il. Much of North Korea's literature, popular, music, theatre, and film glorify the two men. This kind of worship of its leaders is the opposite course of the democratic regime in South Korea.
The U.S. View of North Korea
Can North Korea be trusted? The U.S. doesn't think so. North Korea's reputation as a "rogue" state was earned by its belligerent behavior on many fronts. The North Korea has had to rely on international aid due to famine and food shortage and is always seeking more economic aid as an incentive for giving up its nuclear ambitions. While it greatly suffers economically, it uses limited resources to maintain an army of 1 million. "North Korea's long-range missile development, as well as its nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons programs and massive conventional armed forces, are of major concern to the international community," according to the CIA World Factbook.
The Bush administration fundamentally doesn't trust North Korea to keep its word on the nuclear issue. In October 2002, North Korea admitted to the truth of U.S. intelligence that it had a uranium enriched nuclear weapons program in violation of its 1994 agreement with the U.S. In December 2002, the North Korea defiantly kicked out the monitors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and soon after, withdrew from the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT).
In Feb 2005, North Korea said it had nuclear weapons.
Finally, North Korea resumed negotiations and on September 19, 2005, and agreed to abandon its nuclear program and nuclear weapons. But the next day, it went back on its word and said it would not dismantle its nuclear arsenal or rejoin the NPT until it was supplied with the light water reactors it was promised in the 1994 agreement. The many multi-lateral talks since 2003 have failed to produce any progress in North Korea's nuclear disarmament.
South Korea and the U.S. View North Korea Differently
The U.S. has concerns over the development of nuclear weapons by North Korea--the possibility that they will be used on the peninsula or against Japan, or even the U.S., or sold to terrorists. However, these possibilities are not of high urgency for the South Koreans, in the view of Kirk Larsen, assistant professor of history and international affairs at George Washington University. The South Koreans, said Larsen, do not believe that the North Koreans would ever use nuclear weapons on their fellow Koreans.
So, the major U.S. concern is not of high importance to the South Korea, who are more fearful of a conventional war.
How will Future Generations Judge the Conduct of South Korea's Leaders?
Sung-Yoon Lee, speaking personally as a South Korean, scorns the "Sunshine Policy." How can South Korea, which believes in the "rule of law, democracy, and world standards…and forgive many acts of terrorism by North Korea." He cites 1983 when several cabinet members were killed, and 1987, when 115 innocent lives were lost from shooting down of an airline. He mentioned the numerous abductions of Japanese and South Korean citizens, and "the mass starvation of its own people while the rulers live a good life."
What is most difficult for Lee to accept is that the South Korean government doesn't favor the collapse of the North Korean Communist regime. He asserted that the aid given by South Korea amounting to $500 million "under the table" was "misguided, unprincipled, and criminal." Lee said there wasn't much to show after eight years of the "sunshine" policy.
Lee loathes the "policy of appeasement." He asks how will future generations of South Koreans judge South Korea's leaders who "did not seek the collapse of North Korea" and "by giving economic aid, tried to prevent its collapse" and in fact, propped up the regime, seeking gradual reform in North Korea?
Lee said, "South Korea should choose its side wisely."
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