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Volume 12 Number 3 Automn 2000 The Path Toward
Reconciliation: Choi Eui-chul
Introduction
On August 15-18 of this year, families from the South and North Korea separated by the Korean War met their beloved families and relatives in Seoul and in Pyongyang. The separated family issue, reflecting the profound pain caused by the division of the Korean peninsula, is considered the most pressing issue, one that should be resolved first before any other issues. In this light, the Kim Dae-jung administration has given it top priority. Reunion of separated families has two significant ramifications for the South: first of all, the issue can be resolved only through the peaceful reunification of the two Koreas. That is, national reunification is a prerequisite for the reunion of separated families. Second, the process of resolving the issue will ultimately contribute to peaceful reunification since it will be preceded by improved inter-Korean relations and changes in the North Korean society. Until now, Seoul has relied on the inter-Korean Red Cross talks to deal with the work out this issue. However, the two Koreas made little headway except for the exchange visits in 1984. Pyongyang has approached it as a political matter instead of a humanitarian one. In fact, as its economy deteriorated in the 1990s, the North balked at allowing exchange visits of separated families on a regular basis out of fear that such visits would undermine its regime. Nonetheless, talks on the separated family issue were not completely abandoned. The two Koreas agreed on exchanging letters and visits, and allowing reunions and relocation of separated families in the Inter-Korean Basic Agreement concluded in 1992, even though there was no progress due to North Korea's refusal to implement the terms of the agreement. On the part of South Korea, it made an unprecedented decision in March 1993 to return Lee In-mo, an unconverted communist who had served a long prison term in the South, to the North on humanitarian grounds without any preconditions. Unfortunately, however, when the North utilized the occasion for political purposes, it led to even deeper mistrust between the two Koreas. The South-North summit held this June marked a turning point in the separated family issue. President Kim Dae-jung and North Korea's National Defense Commission Chairman Kim Jong-il agreed during the summit to allow separated families to visit relatives on the other side around the National Liberation Day (August 15), and to resolve issues of unconverted communists in the South and other humanitarian matters at the earliest date possible. Then, working-level meetings between officials from the two Koreas through the Red Cross talks paved the way for the historic family reunions, held simultaneously in Seoul and Pyongyang on August 15-18. This report observes the positions and policies of the South and North Korea on the separated family issue, its prospects and future tasks facing the two Koreas. First of all, it goes without saying that the families are the ones who feel the acute pain of separation, and it would be difficult to expect that future-oriented inter-Korean relations could be established without addressing their plight. The two Koreas show significant differences, however, in their approach to this issue.
North Korea's Perception
Class Struggle
In North Korea, the separated families are referred to as families whose members ran to South Korea, meaning that some of their family members, who lived in the North, went south during the Korean War. North Korea has formulated and implemented its own policy on separated families since the foundation of the regime, based on a class struggle approach, and families whose members ran down to South Korea are classified according to their family background and motivation and period of defection of the family members. In particular, families whose members were senior officers of the National Police Agency, or anti-communist groups or those who defected to the South after committing crimes have been targets for careful watch and have been discriminated against accordingly.1) Furthermore, they are categorized as people with problematic backgrounds along with anti-revolutionaries, converted prisoners of war (POWs) and anti-communists, and they face various types of discrimination in society, education, especially college education, and military service. In the 1960s and 1970s, there were some movements designed to reduce stigma, yet the policy of discrimination has continued to be practiced.2) The North's discriminatory policy explains why the North was so reluctant to allow family reunions.
Politically-Oriented policy
The stark contrast between policies on the separated family issue of the two Koreas is that North Korea puts more emphasis on politics than on humanitarian perspective when dealing with this issue. In implementing the unification strategy, the North has stuck to the position that the issue will be completely resolved when the two Koreas are reunited. Pyongyang agreed to put such matters as confirming the whereabouts of separated families, free visits and reunions, exchange of letters, relocation and other humanitarian issues on agenda during the inter-Korean Red Cross talks held between October 1972 and May 1973, and working-level talks held in December 1977. Still, it stressed, Even though the reunion of separated families belongs in the class of humanitarian issue, it can be realized only through the unification of the fatherland. In addition, the North demanded that the South's National Security Law, educational system and mass media reporting aimed at raising anti-communist sentiments be revised. Withdrawal of U.S. Forces in the South was also a precondition for resolving the issue. The family reunion realized this August was not the first such event. In 1984 when massive floods hit the South, seriously damaging its economy, Pyongyang asked Seoul for assistance, which Seoul granted. This opened the way for the first exchange of separated families and cultural exchanges between the two Koreas. In September 1984, 35 South Korean families and 30 North Korean families among selected 50 families from the two Koreas met their families living in the other side of the peninsula. However, the North allowed the inter-Korean exchanges for political motivations rather than on humanitarian grounds. Deciding that few positive results had been produced, the North retreated to its rigid stance.
Threat to the Regime The rapid, sweeping changes in the international community following the collapse of the socialist countries and the unification of Germany in the 1990s sent shock waves throughout North Korea. To the North, the changes occurring in the outside world spelled a tremendous threat to its regime. Subsequently, maintaining the regime became the most important task. This sense of urgency led the North to feel the need for a tentative agreement with the South. Against this backdrop, the Inter-Korean Basic Agreement was signed in December 1991. Article 18 of the Agreement dealt with the separated family issue. But Pyongyang responded passively to the issue, claiming that the issue should be addressed at the Red Cross talks. In May 1992, the North consented to permit exchange visits by elderly parents at the 7th round of high-level meetings, they did not materialize, however, due to a lack of follow-up measures. North Korea fears adverse effect reunions might have on its efforts to maintain the regime, which has been very passive about reuniting separated families.
Recent changes in North Korea's attitude:
a way to obtain economic gains
North Korea has recently linked the separated family issue to means for raising much needed foreign currency and South Korea's economic assistance to the North in order to ride out its economic difficulties. As its economic difficulties and food shortages have worsened since the 1990s, the North witnessed an increase of the exodus of its refugees and widespread hunger. According to a New York Times report, the North's economy shrank 70% and over 200,000 people died of hunger in the 1990s.3) As a consequence, North Korea has been approaching the separated family issue both at individual and institutional levels as a means of raising foreign currency desperately needed to stem its economic hardships.4) Particularly, the North has encouraged private brokers in third countries to find the whereabouts and arrange reunions of separated families. This is clear evidence that the North has now shifted from a politically-oriented approach to an economic one in dealing with the issue. A case in point is the two vice-ministerial talks held in 1998 and 1999. At the time, the North demanded that South Korea's fertilizer assistance to the North be discussed first while the South insisted on linking the fertilizer provision to the separated family issue based on the principle of reciprocity. Seoul proposed to set up centers for family reunion and mail exchange, and confirm the whereabouts of separated families and relatives. The inter-governmental meetings, however, broke down without yielding any tangible results as the North adhered to the position that the South should provide fertilizer first. Meanwhile, the North's stubbornness shown during the talks is a measure of how desperately the North needs South's fertilizer aid.5)
THE POLICY OF THE AIM DAE-JUNG ADMINISTRATION
The Perception and Approach
The Kim administration's perception and approach on the separated family issue can be summarized into the following four points: First of all, it is a human rights issue that cannot be negotiated politically. Second, reuniting the separated families cannot be delayed any longer since time is running out for the aging separated family members. Third, as the issue belongs to the class of human rights issues, it should be addressed ahead of other political and military issues. Fourth, resolving the issue will not only enable the separated families to reunite with their parted relatives but also heal the wounds of the Korean people while ironing out the differences between South and North Korea, prompting social integration. President Kim appealed to the North for cooperation in reuniting separated families in his inaugural speech delivered on February 25, 1998 and has consistently asked the North to positively respond to his appeal since then. He went so far as to declare that he would accept any formalities involving family reunions. President Kim has implemented very progressive and extensive policies to facilitate family reunions by presenting legal and financial measures. For instance, he instructed the cabinet to do whatever it took to make it possible for the separated families to be reunited before they die regardless of how much it costs and even by going through unofficial channels if officials means are unsuccessful. As part of its efforts toward an early resolution of the separated family issue, the Kim administration suggested the establishment of family reunion centers where the separated families would be able to visit with their long-parted family members without any restrictions. To this end, Seoul proposed to the North, at the vice-ministerial meetings held in Beijing in 1998, to work out the issues of establishing family reunion centers and fertilizer aid to the North based on the principle of reciprocity. It also called on Pyongyang to approve arrangements for family reunions on a regular basis at the reunion centers at the vice ministerial talks held in June 1999.
Efforts for Institutionalization
The Kim administration has focused on preparing the institutional framework for family reunions. As of November 1999, of the 13,918 South Korean families who applied for contacts with North Korean residents, 1,852 received confirmation of whether their families were alive or dead, 5,111 letters were delivered through brokers and 444 families met their family members in third countries. Notably, a visit to North Korea by South Koreans for the purpose of family reunion was allowed for the first time in 1998. As <Table 1> indicates, exchanges among families from the two Koreas soared not only in quantity but also in quality.
In the past, visits to North Korea were possible only when South Korean visitors were granted approval from the government. However, from September 1, 1998, the South Korean government has encouraged visits to the North by South Koreans aged over 60 and those who were born north of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) before July 27, 1953 by allowing their visits if they merely report their visit to the government. The new measure demonstrates the government's bid to facilitate aging families' visits to their hometowns in the North. Furthermore, the government has enacted a guideline for simplifying the procedure of exchanges of separated families, effective on June 1, 1999, in order to cut the red tape involving the issuance of permits for contacting North Koreans or visiting the North by South Koreans. From this year, the government has expanded the class of citizens allowed to visit North Korea by reporting to the government from the over 60 year olds to any first generation of separated families.6) Particularly noteworthy is the fact that the South government added South Korean defectors who had left for North Korea to its list of separated families. In addition, it permitted South Korean separated families to submit applications requesting for confirmation of the status and addresses of their Northern families to the Address Guide Office established by the Public Security Ministry of the North.7) On July 7, 1998, the South Korean government announced, "According to general concepts, separated families are those who have been divided during the period from the national liberation to the Korean War, but South Korean defectors can also be categorized as a new type of separated families." This was a clear departure from past policies.8) Spurred by such an institutional framework, the Kim Dae-jung administration succeeded in bringing North Korea to the negotiating tables for the Inter-Korean vice-ministerial meetings held on April 1998 and June 1999, respectively. The issues of providing fertilizer assistance to North Korea and resolving separated families were linked during the meetings. But the talks broke down without reaching any agreement due to the North's intransigence, a natural outcome considering the shaky condition of the regime in the face of mounting economic difficulties throughout the 1990s and its isolation from the international community. Against this backdrop, a new approach was suggested, which was to provide sufficient economic incentives to the North in order to induce a more positive response. The Kim administration soon adopted this approach in an effort to find a breakthrough in resolving the issue at the time. The idea was later embodied in President Kim's "Berlin Declaration" announced on March 2000. In the declaration, President Kim made four suggestions: government-level economic aid to North Korea, reconciliation and cooperation between the two Koreas, reunion of separated families, and exchange of special envoys to ensure the faithful implementation of the South-North Basic Agreement. North Korea showed an immediate positive response to the South's proposals, and historic the Inter-Korean summit talks were held on June 15. It was at the dramatic summit where discussions about reuniting divided family members finally bore fruit.
CURRENT STATICS OF SEPARATED FAMILIES AND THE EXCHANGE PROCESS
Current Statistics of Separated Families on Both Sides Based on the assumption that approximately five million people moved to the South before and after national lisberation and the Korean War, it is generally believed that there are about 10 million separated families. More concrete figures are9): first, 3.28 million refugees who escaped from North Korea before the Korean War, second, one million refugees who came to the South during the War, third, 300,000 missing persons during the War, fourth, 450 people who were kidnapped by North Korea but have yet to return to South Korea and 930 residents who fled from the North after the cease fire, and fifth, 546,300 people who came to the South according to 1970 statistics. On March 4, the South Korean Unification Ministry published "the Basic Statistics in Regards to South-North Separated Families." The report showed that a total of 7.67 million separated families resided in South Korea as of the end of 1996, including the second and third generations. Among them, the first generation of separated families amounted to 1,226,000. In the meantime, the National Statistical Office released its own projection of the number of separated family members in the South based on its 1995 census. According to the census, the number of respondents who said they were from North Korea stood at 403,000 and those who were over 60 numbered 248,000. However, the results differed from past census outcomes. In a 1949 census, those who settled in South Korea during the period between 1945 and 1949 were estimated at 481,000, while the figure was 450,000 in a 1995 survey. In 1960, those who were from the five North Korean provinces were estimated at 638,000, while the 1996 special census revealed that there were 697,000 people from North Korea. The 1970 survey estimated the number at 675,000.10)Moreover, the Council for the Reunion of Separated Families, a South Korean non-governmental organization, claims that there are around 10 million separated family members, including already deceased first generation family members left in North Korea, 200,000 people who left for North Korea and their family members as well as all other first and second generations of separated families.11) Confusing different interpretations of data of separated families gave rise to the varying numbers. In principle, the scope of separated families is limited to husbands and wives, parents, children, grand children and siblings. However, considering traditional laws and customs, there is a tendency to expand the extent to include those who are within the kinship range in a cousin's cousin in a collateral family line and relatives by marriage within kinship range of a cousin on the side of both one's wife and mother. In the North, the exact extent is not specifically stated due to the abolishment of family registrations under the head of a family. Yet, North Korea's family law defines families and relatives as husbands and wives, children, grandparents, grandchildren, siblings and step-parents and step-children living together. Given this, problems may arise when exchanges of separated family members are pursued in full swing mainly because of differing definitions of divided families. During the 9th Inter-Korean Red Cross talks in August 1985, the two sides agreed that the scope of the separated family was confined to family members at the time of separation and to their children born thereafter. However, when it comes to defining relatives, the two sides presented different views. The South argued that those who are within kinship range of a cousin's cousin of a collateral family line and relatives by marriage within the range of a cousin on both one's wife and mother's sides should be regarded as relatives. In response, the North maintained that relatives with whom North Korean separated family members want to meet must be also considered to be separated families. Although, Seoul once accepted the Pyongyang's proposal when it was having working-level contacts to finalize the list of separated families to visit the hometowns of both sides, the current scope of separated families in the South is defined as spouses, former spouses, family members and relatives both on the father side and by marriage within kinship range of a cousin's cousin. In my view, POWs including their remains and those who were kidnapped to the North must be counted in a broader sense of separated families, taking into account the unique characteristics of inter-Korean relations. Particularly, 462 of the abducted South Koreans have yet to make their way back to South Korea12) and it is estimated that the number of South Korean POWs amounts to around 40,000. South Korean Defense Minister Cho Seong-tae stated that he has already received a list of 312 POWs.13) Therefore, further negotiations are required to address this issue.
Exchanges of Separated Families
During the 1970s and 1980s, the South Korean government sought ways to pursue private-level reunions of divided families based on its judgment that it would be very difficult to resolve the issue on an official level. To this end, the government enacted the Basic Guidelines for Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation and the Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Act on June 12, 1989 and August 1, 1990, respectively. The move was designed to establish a legal framework under which contacting divided family members in North Korea would by permitted, free from the restraints imposed by the National Security Law. By putting the much-needed legal framework in place, the government institutionally guaranteed and supported identifying the fate, letter exchanges and reunions of family members separated by the partition of the peninsula, thereby opening the way for reunions in a third country with separated family members alive in North Korea. In the North, inter-Korean contacts without authorization of the authorities go against the national law but indirect contacts on humanitarian grounds were often partially allowed due to the North's economic difficulties and acute food shortages.14) Up to 1997, there had been 1,014 confirmations of status, 3,936 letter exchanges and 155 reunions through contacts via a third nation. Since these figures were calculated within the context of contacts permitted by the government, it is assumed that the number of contacts unreported in fear for the safety of dispersed family members actually far exceeds official statistics. Such unauthorized contacts have continued even in the midst of mounting tensions on the Korean peninsula brought on by North Korea's nuclear program. What is more, the number is increasing, an indication that reunions of divided families are becoming more and more institutionalized. As the Kim Dae-jung administration has been undertaking necessary measures to resolve the issue of separated families as well as pushing for revisions of related laws, the day of reuniting separated family members is drawing nearer. For the past two years since the Kim administration was inaugurated, there have been 838 identifications of separated familiesO fate (1,852 in total), 1,064 exchanges of letters (5,000 in total), 289 meetings in a third country (444 in total) and six direct inter-Korean contacts. As these figures indicate, the inauguration of the Kim administration has brought substantial progress in solving the issue both in quantity and quality. Reunions of separated family members have been arranged through Koreans residing overseas, private organizations, international events and so forth. In particular, the number of Korean-Chinese playing a mediating role has been on the rise since South Korea established diplomatic ties with China. The success rate of arranging contacts through private organizations is relatively low, accounting for 18% of the total contacts, in terms of identifying the fate. In sharp contrast, arrangements by Koreans living overseas, especially Korean-Chinese have been very successful, boasting an 81% success rate. Generally, it takes anywhere from one to three months to identify fate or arrange reunions.15) In case of private agencies, they charge high commissions for their arrangement services and the commissions are charged differently according to degree of wealth of the divided family members, the locations of their North Korean families, etc. About 500 to 1,000 dollars is needed for identifying the fate and exchanges of letters, while 5,000 to 10,000 dollars is required for a meeting in a third country. Reportedly, some of the commissions flow into the hands of North Korean authorities.16) More recent reports show that an average of 2,000 dollars is charged for identifying the fate, 3,000 dollars for exchanges of letters and 5,700 dollars for contacts. A great proportion of these costs is incurred because of arrangement commissions.17)Despite such exorbitant costs, there are many problems in pursuing private-level contacts. Firstly, access to these contacts is confined to only those who can afford it. Secondly, procedures for such contacts are very complicated and time-consuming and there is no guarantee of 100% success. Thirdly, confirming the fate and the status of separated families is much dependent on the will of North Korean authorities. Therefore, a desirable solution would be an inter-governmental agreement between the South and the North in order to open the possibility of family reunions to every divided family.
Making the inter-Korean family reunions regular events
Possibility of Regularizing Family Reunions
The third paragraph of the South-North Joint Declaration of the June inter-Korean summit spelled out that exchange visits by separated family members and relatives would take place on the occasion of the National Liberation Day and that humanitarian issues, including unconverted communists who have served long prison terms in South Korea, would be resolved at an early date. Furthermore, inter-Korean Red Cross talks were held on June 27-30 at Kumgangsan Hotel in the North.18) As a result, there was a historic exchange visit by 100 separated family members from each side in both Seoul and Pyongyang on August 15-18 for the first time since the nation was split 50 years ago. It has been reported that President Kim Dae-jung fully expressed his wish to resolve the separated family issue to the North's National Defense Commission Chairman Kim Jong-il during the South-North summit. President Kim made it clear at a press conference held immediately after the South-North summit that the leaders of the two Koreas agreed to resolve the issues of separated family reunions and North Korean unconverted long-term prisoners at the same time. Yet he stressed that the divided family issue would be given top priority and agreed on the process with Chairman Kim during their meeting. At the summit, President Kim said, "Please take a drastic step on the family issue. Then, I will take care of other issues in consultation with our people," and Chairman Kim responded positively.19)Meanwhile, North Korea also appears to believe that taking steps on humanitarian issues such as human rights is necessary not only to improve inter-Korean relations but also in bringing the regime out of international isolation. Pyongyang is under pressure from the international community as its human rights record has begun to be exposed to the outside world, with international humanitarian aid in response to the North's dire food shortages is flowing into the closed society. A United Nation's human rights sub-commission, the UN Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities adopted a resolution calling for improvement of human rights in North Korea on August 21, 1997 for the first time as a UN organization. In August 1998, the sub-commission, for the second consecutive year, urged Pyongyang to adopt a number of steps to improve its bleak human rights conditions. Moreover, leading humanitarian aid organizations including United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and World Food Programme (WFP) called on member states to restrain themselves from providing aid to North Korea, citing such reasons as Pyongyang's notorious human rights record and lack of transparency in its system of distributing international aid.20) Under these circumstances, North Korea is well aware that the UN and western countries have an extremely negative view on its human rights situation, and has recognized the need for diffusing international pressure on its human rights record. The North showed signs at the inter-Korean summit that it has fully recognized the paramount importance of emerging from its self-imposed international isolation and that the South's economic cooperation is directly or indirectly linked with resolution of the separated family issue. Given this change in the North's attitude, it is highly likely that the two Koreas will reach an agreement on the issue of establishing a venue for regular reunions of separated families. The question, however, is that of repatriation of South Korean POWs and South Koreans kidnapped by the North, who are also classified as separated families in broad terms. Future negotiations on this issue are expected to be difficult, given that Pyongyang still denies their existence in North Korea.21) Yet, from the humanitarian perspective, the issue should show resolved in the process of invigorating the exchanges of separated families. In the long-term, the resolution of the divided family issue is expected to have an impact not only on reducing tension and establishing a permanent peace on the Korean peninsula, but also on inter-Korean exchanges and cooperation in other areas.
A Preliminary Review on Ways to Resolve the Separated Family Issue The issue of divided families should be pursued step-by-step so that it does not pose a threat to North Korea's effort to maintain its regime. At the initial phase of "establishing a foundation for exchanges, it is recommended to push ahead with mutual exchanges" of visits by first generation individuals of separated families and people who left their hometowns in North Korea, while making efforts to confirm the status and whereabouts of divided families. The second phase of "implementing exchanges" encompasses the exchanges of letters, implementation of mutual visits by elderly members of separated families and visits by people who were born in the other part of Korea, as well as setting up of a post office where mail between separated families from both sides can be exchanged. At the third stage of "invigorating exchanges," separated families and people who desire to visit their hometowns can make a cross-border visit, regardless of their age and when important family affairs such as weddings and death of family members arise. The final stage aims to realize the free exchange of visits by separated families and their permanent reunions. At the inter-Korean Red Cross talks held on June 27, the two sides agreed to hold bilateral talks on setting up and operating a meeting place for family reunions after all North Korean long-term prisoners who had not abandoned their communist beliefs would be repatriated to the North in early September. Since the creation of a meeting place can be interpreted as a step toward the regularization of family reunions, it signifies that the process of resolving separated family issue will be expedited by directly entering the "Phase of institutionalizing exchanges," skipping the "Phase of establishing a foundation for exchanges." In the process of promoting the normalization of family reunions, however, consideration of several issues is required, given the uniqueness of inter-Korean relations. First, the agreement on establishing and managing a meeting place for separated families should take the form of a legally binding treaty. Besides, in selecting locations for the meeting place, a flexible approach needs to be taken. If the North opposes the truce village of Panmunjom as a site, other possible locations such as an area adjacent to the demilitarized zone, the Rajin-Sonbong Free Economic Area or Mt. Kumgang tourism area can be considered as an option. Yet, the most desirable location for a meeting place would be Panmunjom, the very scene of decades of standoff between the South and the North, where the symbolism of it being transformed into a place of peace and unity would hold powerful significance. Another advantage of Panmunjom as a meeting place is that it can minimize the inconveniences and costs associated with travel for the elderly members of the first generation divided families. Secondly, the scope and number of family reunions should be decided in a flexible fashion through negotiations with the North. The South Korean government decided to allow 100 people from each side to make a visit to the other's capitals on the August 15 National Liberation Day as an initial step. Once family reunions take place on a regular basis, however, it is advisable to gradually increase the number of the reunions, reduce age restrictions and expand the scope of the reunions. However, home visits by divided family members and unrestricted reunions need to take place in a flexible manner and in a way that does not undermine the stability of the North Korean regime. Thirdly, the North's faithful compliance should be guaranteed in the process of selecting candidates for family reunions. Conditions should be expressly stipulated to deter the North from handpicking candidates for the reunions, as was the case for the August 15 reunion. To resolve this issue, a lesson can be learned from experiences of East and West Germany. In the past, East Germany exercised authority in deciding whether West Germans would be permitted to enter East Germany even after the signing of the "1972 Basic Treaty" and the "Various Transit Agreements," citing the reason that the agreements were not stipulated expressly. At the time, West Germany was not able to take any effective measures in response to such unilateral behavior of East Germany. Fourth, in the event problems associated with personal security or safety arise, which came up as an issue regarding the Mt. Kumgang tours, obligatory intervention by the South should be expressly stipulated.
Concrete Steps to Realize the
Normalization of Family Reunions
If reunions of separated family members take place on a regular basis, follow-up steps should involve including: First, in conjunction with family reunions, the government should explore ways to offer economic incentives to separated family members in the North. One way is to approve the transfer of money to family members in the North. Such a step will not only offer economic benefits to the North as a whole, but also enhance political and social standing of those family members in North Korean society. It is reported that North Korea's separated family members, with relatives in the U.S. and other foreign countries, are relatively better off since they receive money from their relatives abroad. Moreover, they are no longer subject to discrimination as was the case in the past and their political standing has been upgraded. Such economic assistance will expand opportunities for family reunions by improving the social standing of separated family members in the North, and in the mid-to-long term, promote changes in the North Korean society. As for the amount of the transfers, reflecting the living standards in North Korea, it would be appropriate to limit the amount to $1,000 per month and $10,000 per year for immediate family members and spouses, and to $500 per month and $5,000 per year for other relatives in the kinship range of cousin's cousin. Second, letter exchanges is a must to confirm the status of family members and to send funds. Letters can be exchanged either directly between the South and the North or through the international postal system via a third country. To this end, a communications agreement should be signed between the two Koreas. As for a mail exchange office, it is desirable to utilize the meeting place agreed upon by both parties. Thirdly, the issue of repatriating South Korean POWs and South Koreans kidnapped by the North as well as the separated family issue is drawing attention, not only from families involved, but also from the general public. At the June Red Cross talks, the issue was raised but the North hesitated to include the issue on the agenda, saying that there were no South Korean POWs and abducted South Koreans in the North. Although the issue is not mentioned in the South-North Joint Declaration, the South Korean government should include kidnapped South Koreans and South Korean POWs, including their remains, in the category of separated families in a broader sense. The issue should be resolved in a prompt manner since the North demanded repatriation of North Korean long-term prisoners and agreed to resolve humanitarian issues at the Joint Declaration. South Korean Unification Minister, Park Jae-kyu, stated on June 22 before the National Assembly that the government plans to resolve the issue of South Korean POWs and abducted South Koreans based on the principle of reciprocity by linking the issue with North Korean non-converted prisoners.22) The process can be pursued in a manner where the South and the North confirm the existence of the issue after fully considering the North's position and hold separate negotiations on the issue. In other words, closed-door negotiations and deals between the two Koreas, as East and West Germany made in the process of releasing their political prisoners, are more appropriate in this situation. Fourth, apart from separated families, there are numerous people who left their hometowns and never had an opportunity to make a visit to the place of their birth because of the unique situation on the Korean peninsula. The elderly yearn to visit their hometowns before they die, and thus the issue of such hometown visits should be discussed between the two Koreas along with the issue of separated families. One feasible scenario is the Tongchon-style model23) which would allow people to visit their hometowns in return for providing economic assistance to their relatives or hometowns in North Korea, as was the case with Chung Ju-young, the Honorary Chairman of Hyundai Group. This model is likely to be considered favorably by the North since it would bring economic benefits to the North and Pyongyang is also selectively permitting South Koreans to visit their hometowns in the North. Finally, if future inter-Korean Red Cross talks
aimed at vigorous exchanges of separated families proceed only on
humanitarian grounds, there will be limitations in making substantial
progress. In the process of resolving the separated family issue, the
South should link the North's attitude with the scope and speed of
economic cooperation and assistance to the North as Pyongyang will
continue to expect the South's economic assistance. In this light, an
effective way to resolve the issue would be to induce the North to
recognize that its positive attitude will lead to provision of economic
incentives. Pyongyang is expected to take a more pragmatic approach in the
future than in the past, considering that it has recently placed emphasis
on gaining practical benefits at home and abroad to rebuild its shattered
economy by stressing inter-Korean reconciliation. Conclusion The June summit between President Kim Dae-jung and North Korea's National Defense Commission Chairman Kim Jong-il, the subsequent inter-Korean agreement on reconnecting a cross-border railway from Seoul to Shinuiju and the exchange visits to Seoul and Pyongyang by separated family members on August 15-18 were epoch-making historic events which will greatly affect future inter-Korean relations. In particular, Chairman Kim stressed that inter-Korean issues should be resolved by the two Koreas and promised to make a reciprocal visit to Seoul. These developments signal that the two Koreas are entering an era of reconciliation and cooperation. In the meantime, he positively assessed China's reforms and opening of the economy during his visit to China in May. This implies that the North will push hard for reforms and opening of the economy in the future to build a powerful nation. Chairman Kim also appears to be confident as the North Korean economy shows signs of gradual improvement.24)Inter-Korean relations in the post-summit era will be characterized by increased government-level dialogues and contacts, especially in regards to the South's economic assistance to the North, as well as a gradual improvement of mutual exchanges and cooperation, which can have a positive impact on the separated family issue. In the past, the North has been extremely cautious about the divided family issue since it believed that the issue might undermine the regime, however, the North is now linking the separated family issue with economic assistance as evidenced by the fact that at the beginning of the Kim Dae-jung administration, Pyongyang agreed to discuss the separated family issue only after the South provided fertilizer aid. Another example is that the North's acceptance to hold the inter-Korean summit only after the South's commitment to large-scale government-level economic assistance to the North and cooperation with the North set out at the Berlin Declaration proclaimed by President Kim was confirmed on the world stage. This indicates that the South and the North have finally found a common ground in which to resolve the divided family issue. As a result, the two sides agreed at the June 15 Joint Declaration to resolve humanitarian issues such as that of separated families at the earliest possible date and follow-up measures were worked out at the inter-Korean Red Cross talks, and substantial progress was made. The resolution of humanitarian issues through a regularization of family reunions is highly likely to materialize in the future. The thorny issue is the repatriation of South
Korean POWs and South Koreans abducted by the North. The South should be
patient on these issues since the North needs time to readjust their
policy on families whose members fled to the South. Family reunions on a
regular basis should be pursued on purely humanitarian grounds. Only by
doing so, can inter-Korean exchanges and cooperation in a wide range of
areas be further facilitated and then positive changes will take place in
North Korean society. Furthermore, it will mark a first step in the long
journey to overcome the differences of South and North Korean societies
and ultimately achieve the peaceful unification of the Korean peninsula.
1) Kim Nam- shik, "Process and methods of reunion of separated families since the collapse of the Soviet Union," a report presented at the 5th academic seminar held by The Korean Assembly for Reunion of Ten Million Separated Families (September 20, 1991), p. 22. 2) Ibid., pp. 23-24. 3) The New York Times, April 10, 2000. 4) Ministry of Unification, Guidebook to Exchanges and Cooperation Between Separated Families (Seoul: Ministry of Unification press, 1997), p. 11. 5) Office of the South-North Dialogue, Ministry of Unification Inter-Korean dialogue, No.66 (Seoul, 1999), p. 33. 6) Ministry of Unification, Plan for assistance to exchanges of separated families, March 2, 2000. 7) JoongAng Ilbo, March 28, 1998. 8) Yonhap News, July 7, 1998. 9) Ministry of Unification, Guidebook to Exchanges
and Cooperation Between Separated Families (Seoul: Ministry of
Unification, 1997), p. 7. 10) Kwon Tae-hwan, "Trend and Reasons of population Growth," Lee Hae-young, Kown Tae-hwan, ed., Korean society: population and development, I, (Seoul: Population and Development Research Institute of Seoul National University Press, 1978). 11) Lee Kyong-nam, "Private-level solutions to healing the sufferings of separated families: solution to resolving separated family issue," Academic Seminar Collection, No. 99-14, (Seoul: Korea Institute for National Unification Press, 1999), pp. 72-74. 12) JoongAng Ilbo, June 15, 2000. 13) Dong-a Ilbo, June 22, 2000; Yonhap News, June 29, 2000. 14) Ministry of Unification, Op. cit., p. 12. 15) Seo Jae-jin, Measures to Realize Reunion of Separated Families (Seoul: Korea Institute for National Unification, 1998), p. 35. 16) Ibid., p. 36. 17) Yonhap News, April 10, 2000. 18) The two sides first agreed to exchange a 151-member delegation (one leader, 100 separated families, 30 assistants and 20 journalists) of each side in their respective capitals from August 15-18, 2000. In accordance with the precedent 1985 exchange, the delegation will be using either land or air routes. Second, all of the unconverted long-term prisoners will be immediately repatriated. Immediately after the repatriation, another round of Red Cross talks will be opened to discuss the establishment of a meeting place. Third, all of the unconverted long-term prisoners who want to return to the North be repatriated in early September. 19) Dong-a Ilbo, June 15, 2000. 20) Baek Choong-hyun, "Public Support Comes Only After Negotiation Principles are Observed," Dong-a Ilbo, May 4, 2000. 21) Dong-a Ilbo, June 30, 2000. 22) Dong-a Ilbo, June 22, 2000. 23) Lee Kyung-nam, Ibid., p.77. Tongchon is the hometown of Chung Ju-young. 24) The Bank of Korea announced on June 20, 1999 that economic growth rate of North Korea (GDP) for 1999 stood at 6.2%, recording a positive economic growth for the first time in a decade since 1989. This is mainly attributable to assistance from the international community including South Korea, which accounts for 70% of $660 million of the North's imports. Another factor is an increase in food. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||