Following the slow diffusion of North Korean hostility toward anything and everything in the world, it looks like both halves of the Korean peninsula will finally be sitting down to talk about cleaning up the resulting mess and putting things back in order. North Korea started by restoring the inter-country hotline that they cut off earlier this year in a fit of rage. Now, it will progress to full talks between government officials, an event that hasn’t occurred in more than 5 years.
2007 was the last time that high-level officials from the two countries met, so this may be a unique opportunity for the two Koreas settle some of the issues that have built up over the years. Though reluctant to agree to several of North Korea’s other diplomatic advances, South Korea must have the same idea, because they jumped on the chance to meet face-to-face.
There’s still a bit on contention about where the talks will take place, however. South Korea proposed their capital of Seoul and North Korea insisted on Kaesong. The counter-proposal was the village of Panmunjom, located on the border. The DPRK would naturally want the meeting to occur on their turf, so they can announce it in the media and make it look like South Korea is being capitulating. I doubt that South Korea will give them that chance after everything they’ve pulled as of late.
On the talking agenda will be issues such as the reopening of the Kaesong industrial complex and addressing the reunification of families separated during the Korean War. Basically, they’ll be trying to put things back to the way they used to be before the latest DPRK tantrum. Of course, just because they’re looking to play nice on the political stage doesn’t mean that North Korea is getting any better within their own borders.
While this could be a good chance to increase ties between the two countries and one that South Korea needs to take, I (like most people, no doubt) am a bit skeptical. This is likely just another way for North Korea to keep stalling while they set up their next nuclear test. They’ll work to get sanctions removed and improve international relations and then blow it all up in a fit of military development. I guess we’ll all just have to wait and see what happens.
Korean border courtesy of Michael Day
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