Yearender: Detente Dominates Korean Peninsula in 2000

As peace and development emerge as the theme on the international stage at the threshold of the new century, detente has found its way on the Korean Peninsula in the last year of the passing millennium.

Influenced by the favorable international political environment,the icy relations between the North -- the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) -- and South Korea began to thaw, and the seeds of peace started to sprout after 55 years of enmities.

A historic Pyongyang summit in mid-June between DPRK Leader Kim Jong Il and South Korean President Kim Dae-jung yielded unexpected results and ushered in a new phase of exchanges and cooperation inside and outside the peninsula.

The cheerful and friendly summit, the first of its kind in 55 years and a milestone in the history of inter-Korean relations, marked a new start for the two sides to seek reconciliation, peace, dialogue and cooperation, and lit up new hopes for the Korean people to reunite and enjoy peace together.

Having never forged a peace treaty to end their war, the two Koreas signed a North-South Joint Declaration on national reunification at the summit, vowing to voluntarily settle the issue of reunification, to launch new dialogues, to explore exchanges and cooperation in various fields, and to carry out reciprocal visits of separated families.

With the shared goal of easing tensions and seeking reconciliation, the North and South moved to implement their commitments by clinching an array of agreements as a result of talks at all levels and in various areas.

In the wake of the summit, provocations vanished along the two sides of the military line dividing the peninsula. Hostilities eased and reason mounted in the two Koreas.

The Inter-Korean Liaison Offices at Panmunjom, established in 1992, resumed operation on August 14 after being closed for nearly four years, and an air express passage linking Pyongyang to Seoul for the use of exchanges opened.

The dream of separated families for reunions came true following a meeting between Red Cross officials on both sides in the DPRK on June 27. Two groups of such family members enjoyed tearful and happy meetings with their loved ones after more than 50 years of separation.

A 25-member delegation from the DPRK convened a ministerial meeting, the first of its kind since May 1992, with their South Korean counterparts in Seoul in July. They discussed follow-up measures to the Joint Declaration, economic cooperation and social and cultural exchanges.

The two sides decided to renovate interrupted highways and railways and develop in the North an industrial zone along the west coast to pave the way for the access of South Korean enterprises.

DPRK art delegations went to Seoul to perform, and in return South Korean media chiefs paid several visits to Pyongyang to gain better understanding.

Sports exchanges began with goodwill table tennis matches in Pyongyang in July and culminated in the Sydney Olympics, when DPRK and South Korean athletes joined together in a joint team at the opening ceremony.

Peace on the peninsula was promoted and a foundation for reunification laid when the two Koreas introduced at the UN General Assembly in October a resolution on implementing the joint declaration and other agreements reached between them.

Changes on the Korean peninsula seemed to be sudden, but it was actually the inevitable outcome of a global atmosphere of easing tensions and readjustments of policies of all parties concerned.

The Korean peninsula, which was once overshadowed by power politics, a front of the Cold War between the East and West, and one of the world's hot-spots, suffered in the past half century from a heavy loss of life and economic degradation afflicted by war and a string of ideological and military conflicts and confrontation.

The authorities of both sides have come to realize the high price they paid during their long feud, and realize that dialogue, cooperation, peace and reunification are their only remaining choices.

Many countries in the world, especially neighboring ones such as China and Russia, have adopted positive policies to advance the tension-easing process on the Korean peninsula.

Though the United States is reluctant to give up its strategic interests on the peninsula, its partial readjustment of containment against Pyongyang serves objectively as a catalyst to the process of detente.

The DPRK and South Korea markedly increased their visits and consultations with other countries concerned, creating a favorable environment for warming bilateral ties.

The DPRK's policy readjustments, in particular, yielded substantive fruits. Kim Jong Il's informal visit to China before the summit further fortified the Sino-DPRK traditional friendly relations. Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Pyongyang, the first by a Russian president, enabled the two neighbors to restore their relations of good neighborliness and friendship.

Through across-the-board diplomatic activities, the DPRK opened the door to improving relations with Western countries, such as Australia, Italy, and Britain, which resumed or established diplomatic relations with Pyongyang after longtime isolation.

Other countries like Germany and France also expressed the wish to set up diplomatic ties with the DPRK.

South Korea, which has followed a "sunshine" policy to promote greater economic and political engagement with the North, welcomed the West to establish or enhance diplomatic ties with Pyongyang, and called for support to the inter-Korean process of reconciliation and cooperation.

As inter-Korean relations became warmer, negotiations on normalization of relations between Japan and the DPRK restarted after a pause of eight years.

With the exchange of the highest-level visits by the DPRK's National Defense Commission Vice-Chairman Cho Myong Rok and US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright to each other's country, the United States and the DPRK promised to start a new relationship free of hostility.

Despite the fact that US President Bill Clinton has not yet paid his planned visit to Pyongyang, the link-mending trend between the two former enemies is taking shape.

The development toward easing tensions on the Korean peninsula not only serves the fundamental interests of the Korean people, it is also conducive to peace and stability in Asia and the world at large.

As the Korean people have expressed in various ways their expectation of detente and peace, the international community has extended its support to the tension-easing momentum.

The UN Assembly, the Seoul Asian-European meeting (ASEM), and remarks made by leaders of many countries on different occasions all backed the peace-seeking efforts of the two Koreas and urged acceleration of reunification.

Without a doubt, detente on the Korean peninsula is still in its initial stage and there remains a long way -- with inevitable ups and downs -- to go toward full reunification, given that confrontation has lasted too long, mistrust has not been completely eliminated, and power politics and many other elements may interrupt or hinder the process.

But, the trend of positive developments in and around the two Koreas will be conducive to the continuation of the process of detente; dialogue and cooperation among all sides involved would help deepen and extend the process of detente.

With common efforts of the international community, the Korean peace ship could overcome its difficulties and eventually reach the coast of peaceful reunification in the new century.






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