Independence, Peaceful Reunification and Grand National Unity – the
Fundamental Principles of Korean Reunification
It has been long past half a century since
Korea, a homogenous nation with a 5,000 year-long history, was divided into two
by foreign forces.
Even the name of the country, Korea, that was
admired as “the land of morning calm” is now being addressed as “north Korea”
and “south Korea” for the past 70 years.
The tearful scenes of long-awaited reunion
and heartbreaking farewell of separated families from the north and the south
can be seen nowhere else in the world.
National reunification has become the
most burning desire for the Koreans who have lived with painful sorrow for such
a long time.
It is not only the Koreans but also peace-loving people over the
world who desire early reunification of Korea that will open up a new era of
peace and prosperity on the peninsular and in the region.
In his New Year Address this year, His
Excellency Mr. KIM JONG UN, has put forward the idea of independence in
inter-Korean relations and the reunification issues in line with the nation’s
desire and demand; the idea of safeguarding peace and security by eliminating
the dangers of war on the Korean peninsula; and the idea of adding value to the
north-south joint declarations and implementing them. These ideas are the great
banner for early realization of the nation’s long-cherished desire and the world
aspiration for peace.
1. Independence- the Fundamental Guarantee for Korean Reunification
1. Independence- the Fundamental Guarantee for Korean Reunification
At present there are two contradicting ideas and modes of
reunification pursued by the north and the south.
The north quests independent reunification through concerted efforts
of the Korean nation itself whereas the south insists on “system unification”
backed by alliance with foreign forces.
Independent reunification
by concerted efforts of the North and the South
The DPRK’s stand is to realize reunification independently through
concerted efforts of the north and the south with mutually agreed mode of
reunification and to proceed in that direction.
Independence means reunification. It
serves as a very core principle and guarantee for reunification.
Territorial partition and national division have been neither the
will nor the choice of the Korean people.
It was due to the foreign forces that Korea was divided in the mid
20th century and it is due to the US and its followers that Korea
still remains divided even in the 21st century.
The foreign forces accountable for national division will not and
cannot bring reunification of Korea. It is clear axiom that the power to
relieve the nation from division lies only in the hands of the Korean nation.
Inter-Korean relations and the reunification issues should, by all
means, be resolved by efforts of the Korean nation itself in accordance with
the independent will and demand of the nation true to the principles of By Our
Nation Itself. This is the core idea of independent reunification clarified by His
Excellency
Mr. KIM JONG UN
in his 2016 New Year Address.
“System Unification” based on Cooperation with Foreign
Forces
On the contrary, the current south Korean authorities are pursuing “system
unification” which is, in essence, an idea to cooperate with foreign forces to
eliminate the north’s system and to impose its own ideology and system on the
north.
German-style reunification mode is what the current south Korean
authorities are most fascinated by and trying to copy.
The capitalist West Germany had degenerated the former socialist East
Germany and enforced its idea and system over the latter. Likewise, the south
Korean authorities aim to change the color of the DPRK by luring it to “reform”
and “opening” and ultimately conquer the latter.
In September 2014, the south Korean
authorities, together with Germany, established a governmental consultative
body and are engaged in a full-scale study on the experiences of German
reunification.
Given the fact that no one would be willing to surrender or
compromise its own system, “system unification” will only invite distrust and
confrontation between the north and the south.
South Korea’s “system unification”
ultimately aims at creating a pro-US “unified state” that submits to the US
strategy for domination over northeast Asia by extending influence of the US onto
the whole Korean peninsula.
Reunification and Nuclear
Such “system unification” presupposes permanent station of the US
troops, the very culprit of national division, on the Korean peninsula and
provision of its nuclear umbrella.
Recently, there have been assertions by the US conservative security
experts that a reunified Korean peninsula should continue to be under the US
nuclear umbrella and contain the surrounding countries with dependence on the
US. These assertions prove that this topic is under discussion between the US
and south Korea.
The south Korean authorities are trying to compromise the strategic
interests of the US and the regional countries by “promising the moon” that the
US forces would not move forward above the 38th parallel even after “unification”
backed by the US with its nuclear umbrella as the main pillar. In this way, the
south is sticking to the “unification diplomacy” to obtain support for the south-led
“unification”.
However, the US, the master of south Korea, is seeking to bind south
Korea to US-Japan-south Korea
trilateral military alliance and based on this, stifle the DPRK and further
contain the surrounding countries who are its strategic rivals.
All in all, unification pursued by both the US and south Korea is
aimed at stretching the nuclear umbrella of the US over the whole Korean
peninsula and realizing US dominance over the northeast Asia.
In respect of the security balance in the northeast Asia, this will
remove the buffer zone that prevents a physical collision between the US and
the regional countries and eventually turn the Korean peninsula into a direct
nuclear frontline of the big powers.
The US deceived the world when it had promised that the NATO would
not be expanded further east if the former Soviet Union supported German
reunification. The strategic deception is being replayed by the US in the
northeast Asia.
It is natural that the regional countries are vigilant about the “unification
diplomacy” of south Korea for its instrumental role of the US strategy.
The DPRK’s idea of independent reunification is to establish a just reunified
state that checks the US aggressive strategy to dominate Asia and that ensures the
strategic interests of the regional countries in a balanced way with its
self-defensive nuclear deterrent.
The self-defensive nuclear deterrent of the DPRK serves as a solid
guarantee for ensuring security balance in the region. It frustrates south
Korea’s wild attempt for “system unification” backed by the US nuclear umbrella
and thus assures peaceful reunification of the peninsula based on the
co-existence of the two systems.
2. Conclusion of Peace Treaty – a Shortcut to Korean
Reunification
The fundamental condition
for Korean reunification is to prevent danger of war
and ensure peace and
security on the peninsula.
Today, the
Korean peninsula is under the situation of neither war nor peace. It is now at the crossroad of life or death which leads either
to durable and lasting peace through peace treaty or to crucial war.
It is self-evident that reunification cannot be achieved under the
existing armistice.
Formula of reunification will decide war or peace on the Korean
peninsula.
If the formula of reunification is set for a peaceful reunification based
on co-existence of two systems in the north and the south, peace treaty is the
answer. However, if the formula of reunification is set for “system unification”
by one side, it comes to a conclusion that a war is inevitable.
Reunification based on Peace Treaty
The DPRK’s reunification proposal is to eliminate the danger of war
and safeguard peace and security on the Korean peninsula by concluding a peace
treaty so as to achieve peaceful reunification.
In 1972, the north and the south jointly declared the three principles
of independence, peaceful reunification and grand national unity. In 1974, the DPRK
government proposed to conclude a peace treaty with the US and made strenuous efforts
for its realization in 1980s and 1990s which continued to the new century.
At the same time, the DPRK devoted great efforts to improve inter-Korean
relations and promote reunification.
The DPRK which was non-nuclear state in 1970s has today risen up to
a dignified nuclear state. This brought a change in the position of the parties
concerned in the peace treaty from a non-nuclear state versus a nuclear state to
a nuclear state versus a nuclear state.
What remains unchanged is the
invariable stand of the DPRK to terminate the armistice and ensure an environment
essential for peaceful reunification of Korea.
To create favorable environment and conditions for peace treaty, in
January 2015, the DPRK proposed a moratorium on nuclear test in return for US
suspension of joint military exercises. Later in August last year, still for
the favorable environment for independent reunification, the DPRK straightened
out the dangerous touch-and-go situation and proposed, once again, the
conclusion of peace treaty.
However, the US responded to these proposals with enforcement of
joint military exercises and commitment of aircraft carrier flotilla into the
waters of the Korean peninsula.
War Plan Dependent on Foreign
Military Forces
At the same time, the south Korean authorities are trying to secure
its military predominance over the DPRK backed by the US military and thus
pursue the south-led “unification”.
Recently the south Korean authorities and the US have endorsed the 4D
operation plan for preemptive strike against the DPRK and attempt to translate
it into action from coming February.
The DPRK was left with no other choice but to strengthen its nuclear
deterrent both in quality and quantity to cope with the US ever-growing maneuvers
hostile towards the DPRK.
The DPRK succeeded in the test of its first hydrogen bomb early this
year. It serves as a righteous act that lay evermore powerful guarantee to
eliminate dangers of war on the peninsula, realize independent national
reunification and ensure peace and security in the northeast Asia.
If aggressors dare to provoke the DPRK, even to a slight degree, the
latter will never tolerate it but respond resolutely with a merciless sacred
war of justice, a great war for national reunification. This is a firm and
invariable stand of the DPRK.
These days, the US and its followers are taking issues with the DPRK’s
just and legitimate test of defensive hydrogen bomb and are committing strategic
nuclear arms into south Korea, thus aggravating tension.
The DPRK is fully prepared to make nuclear strikes against the US-headed
anti-DPRK forces at any time in any space according to the order of the Central
Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea if they encroach upon the sovereignty
of the DPRK and make threatening provocations
Once a war breaks out on the Korean peninsula, it will not be restricted
to the peninsula but will surely bring a series of crisis in other regions of East
Asia and will lead to an earlier strategic defeat of the US.
After all, south Korea’s “unification plan” thoroughly backed by the
US military muscle is nothing but a dangerous war plan that will drive the
whole Korean peninsula into a melting pot of a full-scale war.
There is a consensus view by the overall international community that
conclusion of a peace treaty between the DPRK and the US is the only way to address
the current crisis and to safeguard peace and security on the Korean peninsula.
3. North-South Agreements and the Role of
Surrounding Countries
The DPRK highly values joint agreements such as the three principles
for national reunification and the north-south declarations and desires to open
up a broad avenue to improved bilateral relations in conformity with these
agreements.
Reunification Mutually Agreed by the North and
the South
The three principles for national reunification, June 15 joint
declaration and October 4 declaration constitute the great reunification charter
of the nation, which crystallize the general will of the nation and whose
validity have been proved in practice.
It is the consistent stand of the DPRK that the south is its main
counterpart for national reunification. The DPRK holds that reunification
should be promoted by respecting the different ideologies and systems existing
in the north and the south based on the principle of co-existence and
co-prosperity.
Nevertheless, the south Korean authorities, instead of seeking
mutually-agreeable formula of reunification, totally deny the past historical
inter-Korean agreements and tour foreign countries to solicit their support for
the reunification issue, the internal affairs of the Korean nation.
This is a dangerous war-inviting act that attempts to extend their
system over the other side while designating the main counterpart for
reunification as an enemy.
It has been over 70 years since the Korean peninsula was liberated
from the Japanese colonial rule. Yet, south Korea remains under the control of US military
forces, which restricts them from any right to command its own military forces and
to make decisions between war and peace.
On the contrary, the DPRK has risen up to a politico-ideological
power and a nuclear power with defensive H-bomb and is capable of producing and
launching satellites on its own. The DPRK is fully exercising its sovereignty with
no worries to read others’ expression.
Still, the DPRK has no intention and has never intended to force its
system on the south at all.
It is the very intention of the DPRK to accelerate national
reunification in conformity with the three principles for national reunification
which were agreed upon by the north and the south at the very beginning of
inter-Korean reunification dialogues and the historical June 15 and October 4
declarations agreed upon at the summit level.
The agreement and declarations have enjoyed unanimous appraisal and welcome
from the international community including the UN as well as the entire Korean
nation.
Therefore, respecting the joint agreements and realizing reunification
based on them is the very convincing and proper reunification formula that can
be accepted by both sides and welcomed by the world.
The main actors for national reunification are the north and the
south. They are the ones that have the most direct interests in reunification and
the ones that have the right to decide the mode of reunification.
The south Korean authorities, ignoring the clear-cut fact, are
trying to implicate foreign forces in the reunification process, the nation’s
internal issue. This is nothing but a disgraceful betrayal of the nation and the
country that fans inter-Korean distrust and confrontation.
Role of Surrounding Countries
Today, with regards to Korean reunification issue, the surrounding
countries maintain clear position that they support independent reunification
of Korea and the formula of reunification agreed upon by both the north and the
south.
Those countries maintain such position since Korean reunification
based on mutual agreements ensures solid guarantee for peaceful cooperation in
the region while not disrupting the status quo on the Korean peninsula and thus
fully meets the strategic interests of the surrounding countries.
The surrounding countries are kindly advised to know what roles they
should play for Korean reunification and regional peace.
Advocating one-sided unification would
only result in escalated inter-Korean confrontation and, in the long run, seriously
damage their own strategic interests by inevitably embroiling themselves into
the crisis.
The best alternative to ensure the
strategic interests of the surrounding countries as well as the entire Korean
nation is the reunification idea that His Excellency Mr. KIM JONG UN has clarified in his 2016 New Year Address.
I believe that policy research institutes and security think-tankers, based on the in-depth
analysis of the current geo-political position of Korea and the strategic
balance in the northeast Asia surrounding the peninsula, would extend active support
and encouragement to the independent reunification of Korea.
Choe
Un Ju, Research Fellow, Institute for Disarmament and Peace
Ministry
of Foreign Affairs, DPR Korea
21 January,
Juche 105(2016)
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