Amid mounting war threats between the Koreas, the South’s Unification Ministry announced on Wednesday it is preparing for an unlikely unification of the two countries.
Minister of Unification Hyun In-taek presented the ministry’s 2011 plan on Wednesday for reunification to President Lee Myung-bak and other officials. The Ministry of Unification began its operations in 1969. One of its priorities is “preparations for unification.”
North and South Korea have technically remained at war since the Korean War in 1953, as no peace treaty has been signed. Tensions between the communist North and prosperous South reached new heights this year with the shelling of Yeonpyeong Island, which claimed civilian lives, by the North.
When it created the Ministry of Unification 40 years ago, South Korea acknowledged the need for a roadmap toward unification preparations. The Korean people should be involved in these preparations, concluded a discussion between officials and experts after the presentation. This way a strong foundation for peaceful unification can be formed, a press release from the ministry states.
A second objective was to “induce positive changes of North Korea.” Discussing the war threats in the last months and violent actions toward South Korea, one conclusion was that it is unlikely the “North Korean authorities will change for the time being.”
In order to achieve some positive changes, the discussion made a distinction between the regime and the people. A new approach toward the North Korean people, of which the views and perceptions are found to be rapidly changing, is seen as the way to promote positive changes in North Korea. One way is to actively improve human rights for North Koreans and increase support for the 20,000 North Korean refugees in South Korea.
The last point of the Unification Ministry’s plan was inter-Korean relations. Last year, relations became disrupted. South Korea suspended inter-Korean trade after North Korea was found responsible for the sinking of the vessel Cheonan in March. As a result, last month’s figure published by the Ministry of Unification showed a decrease in trade up to 47.6 percent, depending of the sector, between January and November.
President Lee Myung-bak showed, according to South Korean news agency Yonhap, his willingness to resume the six-party talks, as he regards them as the only way to discuss North Korea’s denuclearization. The six-party talks with Japan, China, the United States, and Russia were stalled after December 2008. North Korea expressed willingness to resume the talks after it declared them dead in July 2009.
In 1969, the Ministry of Unification was called into being to work toward a peaceful unification of the two Koreas, although an actual unification was not expected in the near future. After 41 years, its objectives are the same, and so might the perceived time frame for reaching unification.
Minister of Unification Hyun In-taek presented the ministry’s 2011 plan on Wednesday for reunification to President Lee Myung-bak and other officials. The Ministry of Unification began its operations in 1969. One of its priorities is “preparations for unification.”
North and South Korea have technically remained at war since the Korean War in 1953, as no peace treaty has been signed. Tensions between the communist North and prosperous South reached new heights this year with the shelling of Yeonpyeong Island, which claimed civilian lives, by the North.
When it created the Ministry of Unification 40 years ago, South Korea acknowledged the need for a roadmap toward unification preparations. The Korean people should be involved in these preparations, concluded a discussion between officials and experts after the presentation. This way a strong foundation for peaceful unification can be formed, a press release from the ministry states.
A second objective was to “induce positive changes of North Korea.” Discussing the war threats in the last months and violent actions toward South Korea, one conclusion was that it is unlikely the “North Korean authorities will change for the time being.”
In order to achieve some positive changes, the discussion made a distinction between the regime and the people. A new approach toward the North Korean people, of which the views and perceptions are found to be rapidly changing, is seen as the way to promote positive changes in North Korea. One way is to actively improve human rights for North Koreans and increase support for the 20,000 North Korean refugees in South Korea.
The last point of the Unification Ministry’s plan was inter-Korean relations. Last year, relations became disrupted. South Korea suspended inter-Korean trade after North Korea was found responsible for the sinking of the vessel Cheonan in March. As a result, last month’s figure published by the Ministry of Unification showed a decrease in trade up to 47.6 percent, depending of the sector, between January and November.
President Lee Myung-bak showed, according to South Korean news agency Yonhap, his willingness to resume the six-party talks, as he regards them as the only way to discuss North Korea’s denuclearization. The six-party talks with Japan, China, the United States, and Russia were stalled after December 2008. North Korea expressed willingness to resume the talks after it declared them dead in July 2009.
In 1969, the Ministry of Unification was called into being to work toward a peaceful unification of the two Koreas, although an actual unification was not expected in the near future. After 41 years, its objectives are the same, and so might the perceived time frame for reaching unification.
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