(EDITORIAL from the Korea Herald on Nov. 22) - Time for change

After nine months in office, the Lee Myung-bak administration's North Korea policy can be described at best as being adrift, if not non-existent.
Upon its inauguration, the conservative government declared that any future
relations with North Korea would be contingent upon progress made in the
denuclearization process. The president, during his first months in office, said
that he would base inter-Korea relations on the 1992 Basic Agreement.
In doing so, Lee seemed, essentially, to negate the two most recent agreements
signed between the two countries -- the 2000 agreement between then President Kim
Dae-jung and North Korea's Kim Jong-il and the 2007 agreement between then
President Roh Moo-hyun and Kim.
The administration sought to take a different approach toward North Korea, one
that would set it apart from the two previous liberal governments which pursued
the "sunshine policy" of engaging the North.
The Lee administration held off on initiating the economic assistance plans
envisioned by the 2007 agreement. It cited the huge budget necessary as well as
the negative public sentiment toward such large-scale assistance.
Although Lee said that humanitarian aid would not be affected by politics, this
administration has not sent -- or has been unable to send -- the annual rice aid
shipment to the North. The administration insists that it will send rice aid when
the North asks for it, but Pyongyang is unlikely to make such requests given the
current state of inter-Korean relations. When the World Food Program sought
contributions from Seoul, citing a massive food shortage in the North, this
administration said it would decide after reviewing this year's harvest.
Other than opposing previous policies, the Lee government's policy toward
Pyongyang is virtually non-existent. The "Denuclearization, Liberalization, 3000"
plan, which espouses strict give-and-take in inter-Korea relations, has made no
progress and the relations between the two Koreas are at a nadir. Lee has
attempted to fix the situation -- he said he would honor the 2000 and 2007
agreements on two occasions, the most recent on National Liberation Day -- but
there has been no answer from the North.
Lee recently said that sometimes waiting can be a strategy when dealing with
North Korea. However, relations cannot be allowed to deteriorate further.
Hostilities across the border are another burden for the government as it deals
with the current economic crisis. It is time for this administration to
reformulate its North Korea policy.
The Unification Minister recently called for dialogue to discuss how to implement
the 2007 agreement. Another ministry official said that the decade of engagement
promoted reconciliation and cooperation and yielded many results. The change in
tenor, at least within the Unification Ministry, is palpable.
Two civic groups -- one a group of progressive figures and another a group of
Christian leaders that includes conservative Lee supporters -- yesterday held
meetings calling for a change in the government's North Korea policy. The
Christian group demanded a more flexible and inclusive approach.
The incoming Obama government in the United States may engage in direct diplomacy
with the communist state, as outlined in the Obama-Biden plan. Any new North
Korea policy by this government should not be unduly influenced by concern that
North Korea will try to exclude the South in dealing with the United States.
However, the anticipated change in how Washington deals with Pyongyang is another
motive for this government to review its North Korea Policy.
When a policy is deemed to have been a failure -- as is the case here -- the most
sensible approach is to replace it before it is too late.
(END)