Why North Korea’s wants to mend ties with South Korea?

However, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un expressed willingness to reopen halted communication lines with South Korea in future, while dismissing US offers for discussion as "cunning means" to hide the North's hostility, according to state media. Kim's comment appears to be an attempt to build a wedge between Seoul and Washington, as he seeks South Korea's assistance in obtaining relief from severe US-led economic sanctions as well as other concessions. Pyongyang has offered conditional talks with Seoul last month, alongside its first missile launches in six months and increased criticism of the US. Furthermore, South Korea stated that the twice-daily routine communication was restarted on time via military hotlines and others managed by the unification ministry. The hotlines are a rare instrument for bridging the gap between the adversaries, but it was unclear whether their reconnection would facilitate any real resumption to discussions aimed at dismantling the North's nuclear and missile programmes in exchange for sanctions relief from the United States.  The hotlines, according to Seoul's defence ministry, have helped to prevent unanticipated conflicts, and their resumption will hopefully lead to a real reduction in military tensions. The Unification Ministry, which oversees inter-Korean affairs, expressed optimism that talks on how to repair relations and create peace will continue shortly. A representative for the US State Department in Washington said the restored lines are "a key component in fostering a more stable environment on the Korean Peninsula," and that the US actively supports inter-Korean cooperation.

Since the hotlines were cut, tensions have risen, with North Korea warning of a security crisis and launching a barrage of new missiles, including a hypersonic missile, an anti-aircraft missile, and a "strategic" cruise missile with nuclear capability. The launches highlighted how the isolated country has been steadily building more advanced weapons, upping the stakes for the stalled denuclearisation talks. Pyongyang has suggested it is eager to restore inter-Korean relations and contemplate another meeting provided Seoul ditches its double standards, despite accusing Washington of "hostile policy." Experts estimate the North's carrot-and-stick strategy is intended at gaining world recognition as a nuclear weapons state while also driving a gap between the US and South Korea, relying on South Korean President Moon Jae-desire to leave a diplomatic legacy before his term ends in May.

The Pyongyang Joint Declaration, signed in 18 September, 2018, is an agreement signed by leaders of North and South Korea, under which almost all the long-standing issues between the two countries were addressed. The two sides agreed to implement the Panmunjom Declaration that had been signed in April that year and agreed to closer communication to prevent military clashes along the DMZ. Economic cooperation was also on the table, with both nations committing to restore the Gaeseong industrial complex along the border and the Mt. Geumgang Tourism Project, which involves establishing an unique cooperative tourism zone on North Korean territory. The two countries also committed to work together in the sphere of public health, particularly in the case of epidemics and the adoption of emergency measures to prevent and control the spread of infectious illnesses. Family reunions on both sides of the border have long been a source of concern for regular families who were parted following the Korean War and the split of the peninsula. The agreement included measures for resolving this issue, with both countries committing to set up a permanent facility in the Mt. Geumgang area to allow separated families to visit and establish communication channels through inter-Korean Red Cross activities. The two nations also pledged to enhance interaction and integration and collaboration at the time the agreement is made, as well as to actively participate in the 2020 Summer Olympic Games and other international games together. There were also intentions for the two to bid for the 2032 Summer Olympic Games to be held jointly.

What the relationship between North and South Korea is not as easy we think, if 2018 appeared to be the year that inter-Korean ties progressed, everything changed after the DPRK-US Summit in Hanoi in 2019, when talks between Washington and Pyongyang abruptly collapsed through. Relations worsened further in the summer of 2020, when Pyongyang issued a warning to Seoul to prohibit North Korean migrants and activists in South Korea from sending rice and anti-North Korean propaganda across the border. Despite the lack of formal confirmation from Pyongyang, scientists believe North Korea is likely to have been affected by the Covid-19 outbreak. Therefore, the relations throttled with America and grave condition of economy is the compelling North Korea to mend ties with South Korea, the intentional attitudes need close scrutiny of the North Korea’s actions in near future to decide whether the call for normalization are real effort or a mere short-term strategy for seeking time.

Notes

1.       The rise and rise of ‘first sister’ Kim Yo-jong in North Korea: https://theprint.in/opinion/the-rise-and-rise-of-first-sister-kim-yo-jong-in-north-korea/744079/

2.      North Korea's Kim seeks better ties with South, but slams US: https://www.news4jax.com/news/2021/09/29/nkoreas-kim-wants-to-restore-hotlines-with-south-korea-soon/

3.      Two Koreas reopen hotlines as North urges South to mend ties | Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/nkorea-says-inter-korean-hotlines-will-be-restored-monday-kcna-2021-10-03/

4.     North Korea says open to talks if South drops double standards | Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/north-korea-says-suggestion-declare-end-korean-war-is-premature-kcna-2021-09-23/

5.      N.Korea's Kim offers to reopen hotline with South; denounces 'hostile' U.S. | Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/nkoreas-kim-expresses-willingness-restore-inter-korean-hotline-kcna-2021-09-29/

6.     South Korea urges North to restore hotlines for any talks: https://apnews.com/article/seoul-south-korea-north-korea-kim-yo-jong-ef0b8abcfbe164b9d16cb281aefd26f6

7.      Economic Integration and Cooperation on the Korean Peninsula | PIIE: https://www.piie.com/commentary/speeches-papers/economic-integration-and-cooperation-korean-peninsula

8.     North Korea reopens hotline with South in bid to mend ties - BBC News: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-58784306

9.     Explained: North Korea-South Korea relations, two years after Pyongyang Joint Declaration | Explained News,The Indian Express:

10.   https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-north-korea-south-korea-relations-two-years-after-the-pyongyang-joint-declaration-6601512/

11.     North Korea's Kim seeks better ties with South, but slams US: https://apnews.com/article/seoul-south-korea-north-korea-02db71010f65cd21a8323f78d5086adf

12.    Kim Jong Un's sister warns of 'destruction' of S.Korean ties: https://apnews.com/article/seoul-south-korea-north-korea-pyongyang-1bf74218556e36697983cf6669ec9166

13.    South Korea North Korea ties: Latest News & Videos, Photos about south korea north korea ties | The Economic Times - Page 7: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/topic/south-korea-north-korea-ties/7

14.   North and South Korea agree to restore communication channels: https://www.cnbc.com/2021/07/27/north-and-south-korea-agree-to-restore-communication-channels.html

Pic Courtesy-Micha Brändli at unsplash.com

(The views expressed are those of the author and do not represent views of CESCUBE.)