STATEMENT OF THE VANCOUVER WOMEN’S FORUM

ON PEACE AND SECURITY ON THE KOREAN PENINSULA

>>> Statement [Download]

 

As sixteen delegates representing peace movements from all over the world, we have traveled from Asia, Pacific, Europe, and North America to convene the Vancouver Women’s Forum on Peace and Security on the Korean Peninsula, an event held in solidarity with Canada’s Feminist Foreign Policy to promote a peaceful resolution to the crisis on the Korean Peninsula. Sanctions and isolation have failed to curb North Korea’s nuclear weapons program and instead severely harm the North Korean civilian population. A Korean Peninsula free of nuclear weapons will only be achieved through genuine engagement, constructive dialogue, and mutual cooperation. We issue the following recommendations to the Foreign Ministers participating in the January 16 Summit on Security and Stability in the Korean Peninsula: 

 

● Immediately engage all relevant parties in dialogue, without preconditions, to work toward achieving a nuclear-free Korean peninsula;

 

● Abandon support for the strategy of maximum pressure, lift sanctions which have deleterious effects on the North Korean people, work toward the normalization of diplomatic relations, remove barriers to citizen-to-citizen engagement, and strengthen humanitarian cooperation;

 

● Extend the spirit of the Olympic truce and affirm the resumption for inter-Korean dialogue by supporting:

i) negotiations for the continued suspension of joint US-ROK military exercises in the south, and the continued suspension of nuclear and missiles tests in the north,

ii) a pledge not to conduct a first strike, nuclear or conventional, and 

iii) a process to replace the Armistice Agreement with a Korea Peace Agreement;

 

● Adhere to all the Security Council recommendations on Women, Peace, and Security. In particular, we urge you to implement United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325, which acknowledges that the meaningful participation of women in all stages of conflict resolution and peacebuilding strengthens peace and security for all. 

 

These recommendations are based on our long experience engaging with North Koreans through citizen diplomacy and humanitarian initiatives, and from our collective expertise on militarism, nuclear disarmament, economic sanctions, and the human cost of the unresolved Korean War. The Summit is a sobering reminder that the gathered nations have a historic and moral responsibility to formally end the Korean War. A pledge not to conduct a first strike can de-escalate tensions by significantly reducing the apprehension of an attack and the risk of miscalculation that could result in an intentional or an inadvertent nuclear launch. Resolving the Korean War can be the single most effective action to halt the intense militarization of Northeast Asia, which gravely threatens the peace and security of 1.5 billion people in the region. The peaceful resolution of the Korean nuclear crisis is the key step toward the total global elimination of nuclear weapons.

 

 

January 15, 2018

Vancouver Women's Forum on Peace and Security on the Korean Peninsula

Christine Ahn, Women Cross DMZ

Kozue Akibayashi, WILPF

Lisa Natividad Guahan. Coalition for Peace and Justice

Ewa Eriksson, Fortier Women Cross DMZ

Yehjung Yi, Korean Sharing Movement

Mihyeon Lee, People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy

Liz Bernstein, Nobel Women’s Initiative

Moon-sook Lee, National Council of Churches in Korea

Susan Bazilli, Women Peace Security Network

Nan Kim, Alliance of Scholars Concerned about Korea

Ellen Judd, Canadian Voice of Women for Peace

Ann Wright, Women Cross the DMZ & Veterans for Peace

Patti Talbot, United Church of Canada

Mary-Wynne Ashford, International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War

Erica Fein, Win Without War

Lyn Adamson, Canadian Voice of Women for Peace 

 

<사진 = 밴쿠버여성포럼>

People Power 2017, this month of PSPD

 

Through presidential election achieved by candle protest, ‘Moon Jae-in government’ has started its sailing. Many citizens are watching the news with joy because the new government is accomplishing its roles very well. Thus, PSPD receives questions what activities PSPD plans to carry out. They concern that PSPD’s role of social reform may shrink getting far from citizens.

 

PSPD will encourage the new government to execute social reforms candle citizen have hoped for. Needless to say, PSPD will demand the government to fill inadequacy and have productive debate. Whether election vows are kept or postponed after taking the power will be monitored and assessed. Arguments with opponents who hinder reforms that PSPD and candle citizens hope for will not be avoided. It will convince and criticize lawmakers who block legislation of reform bills. These are all what PSPD has been doing even during Kim Dae-jung and Noh Moo-hyun government and it will keep carrying out its duties sincerely and consistently. 
  

Suggested seven tasks for eradication of deep-rooted evils and practices, and straightening up democracy 

PSPD welcomes swift reform measures of president Moon Jae-in and new government. To take representative examples, Moon has ordered suspension of adopting state-authorized history textbook, to acknowledge two temporary contract teachers for line of duty death who died saving students when Sewol ferry sank and to investigate what Park Geun-hye administration and prosecutors have done in respect to a document ‘Jeong Yoon-heoi, actual power behind the throne’. He also has given directions to resolve job security issue of non-regular workers of Incheon International Airport, to close old coal power plants temporarily and to investigate problems associated with policy making process of four major river projects. PSPD supports these measures and at the same time, suggests seven tasks in order to eradicate deep-rooted practices and straighten up democracy.

△ Justice minister should be from non-prosecutor background △ Immediate commence of investigation on political maneuvering, violation and evasion of laws committed by Park Geun-hye and her administration △ It is required to investigate political intervention and fabricating public opinions conducted by National Intelligent Service during Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye term △ THAAD deployment process must be stopped and reconsidered  △ Follow-up measures of agreement between Park Geun-hye and Abe government on ‘comfort women’ must be suspended and re-negotiation is required △ Investigate whole process of four major river and foreign resource development project forced by Lee Myung-bak government . 

They are not easy to complete at once but expected to carry out one by one while administrative leadership and reform engine are strong during first 100 days after inauguration.

 

 

Proposed 14 social and economic reform measures 
PSPD has proposed 14 social and economic assignments on 18 May which can be decided and executed by executive order of president as follow. △ Improve labor cost ceiling system, standard labor cost system and public organization management assessment in order to expand jobs in public sector △ Increase application for the insured’s share ceiling system of National Health Insurance Service for the purpose of lessening personal medical expense △ Abolish ‘Surplus childcare guideline’ which increases workload of childcare teachers △ Repeal core retrogressive revision of labor law <Fair human resource guideline> and <Guideline for Interpretation and management of employment regulations> (2016.01.22.) △ Withdraw notification of ‘Not a union’ for Korea Teachers and Education Workers Union △ Dispose administrative interpretation (68207-2855, 2000.9.19.) of the Labor Ministry that working on holidays are not included in overtime △ Exclude public officers who have involved in scandals such as Lone Star from appointment to economic ministry and public organizations △ Completely investigate allegations on connection among Fair Trade Commission, Korea Exchange and Samsung during Park Geun-hye government △ Pay allowance to young people who are unemployed or preparing for employment △ Establish a task force to secure housing rental for working class △ Reduce credit card commissions for small and self-employed business and prepare measure to protect store lessee △ Ease eligibility of national scholarship for tertiary education, raise the budget and set zero interest policy for student loans △ Drop down communication fee △ Instant shut down of screen horseracing in residential area of Yongsan in Seoul and Wolpyeong-dong in Daejeon, and stop expansion in Gyeonggi Kimpo.
 
 

Request to disclose criteria to screen candidates for high ranking public positions
There are favorable comments on designation of candidates for high ranking public positions made right after inauguration of Moon. It is great news in comparison with early term of Park Geun-hye government when designated candidates received huge criticism including prime minister because not only they failed to meet qualification but also had moral problems. 

However, it is necessary to formally establish systematic environment to set criteria for screening candidates and prove verification process regardless of who becomes a president. All and each government of Noh Moo-hyun, Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye is known to have criteria but details have never been disclosed. Therefore, PSPD sent a letter of opinion to the president Moon Jae-in on 23 May requesting to thoroughly prepare screening criteria and share process and results with the people and National Assembly.

 

Recommended Kim Seon-su for a Supreme Court Justice
Lee Sang-hoon, a Supreme Court Justice has retired last February completing 6 year-term but appointment of his successor has been delayed because of the impeachment and the presidential election. Another justice Park Byung-dae is scheduled to step down in June that two Supreme Court justices are needed. During Noh Moo-hyun government, PSPD carried out a movement to recommend desirable Supreme Court and Constitutional Court Justice. Unfortunately, it stopped for Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye administration since neither Chief Supreme Court Justice who has the right to request recommendation nor the president who is entitled to appoint seem to pay attention and accept PSPD’s recommendation.

On 22 May, PSPD recommended Kim Seon-su for Supreme Court Justice. He is a lawyer who has worked for rights of labor for a long time. Korea Bar Association also recommended Kim Seon-su to one of chief justice candidates on 15 May. We expect to hear that a lawyer who has actively advocated rights of socially disadvantaged people become a Supreme Court justice. Furthermore, we hope another new chief justice to be appointed in September satisfies expectation of citizens. 
 

Press conference held to present how voters became victims during presidential election period

PSPD activists have been investigated and put on trial for the charge of holding a press conference with a picket in which a name of candidate is written while carrying out voter campaign for the 20th General election last April. It happens because harsh election law obstructs voter’s right of freedom to expression. National Assembly was urged to revise the National Election Law before the presidential election but it did not realized. Comes as no surprise, unjust law has made victims. On 25 May, PSPD held a press conference ‘Let’s put it an end, election law that blocks the freedom of people to speak’ in cooperation with lawmakers of the Minju party; Yoo seung-hee and Lee Jae-jeong, and presented victim cases occurred during the 19th Presidential Election period. 

People were cracked down for the reason of including names and photos of candidates on poster ‘Peace leave, THAAD come?’, in parody leaflets comparing and reviewing candidate’s human rights policy on juveniles and flyers of experimental vote of the youth. In addition, the National Election Commission gave an excessive interpretation that writing a word of candle on banner even violated the law so that PSPD hang the same kind of banner in front of secretariat office to protest. To increase awareness of problems with the election law, story funding project <Why did they broke the law> was carried out from end of February to 15 May and a journalist Park Sang-gyu wrote seven articles. Many people have red and concurred with why election law has to change making contribution of 15,820,000 KRW in total. This fund will be used for campaign of revising the election law together with Park sang-gyu.   

 

People Power 2018

This Month of PSPD

 

 

 

The New Year has come. Best wishes for a happy new year and I hope you all share happiness with neighbors. There have been lots of changes in our society in 2017 and we have sincerely dreamt for those changes. By and with the power of the people, PSPD has been trying to make people’s dream come true. It will work harder to make more changes and try to be with more citizens in 2018. Let me introduce what PSPD has done in December 2017 as follow.

 

 

Wrap up 2017, Plan for 2018

In 2017, PSPD has taken down Park Geun-hye administration with and by the power of the people. Prosecutors Office Act has been reformed that expedient dispatching prosecutors to the office of the President is prohibited. The Ministry of Justice is cutting out connections with prosecutors step by step. Anti-corruption Act has been changed to protect teachers who report corruptions in private schools. Entrance fee to tertiary educational institutes is abolished and Yongsan horse racing screen gambling is closed. Children’s allowance is established and corporate tax is increased for top companies in terms of sales. Patriot education of the Ministry of Defense is stopped which only focused on confrontation of South and North Korea and hostility to each other. The government has withdrawn the claim for damage from Gangjeong residents who protested against Jeju Naval Base construction.

 

The above are all what PSPD has demanded and worked for a long time, and there are still more to mention. These achievements are partly because a new government is inclined to progressive but aren’t possible without consistent efforts of PSPD. Wrapping up 2017 and planning for 2018 have started since mid-December last year. The first discussion of General Meeting Preparation Committee was held on 11 December. Colleting opinions and hearings for members will be held in January 2018 and I hope you all participate in the process.

 

 

Public hearing held at Constitutional Court to review constitutionality of ‘Packet monitoring’

PSPD opposes to indiscriminate information collecting executed by National Intelligent Service and investigation authorities. In the line with this, PSPD has requested to review constitutionality of NIS’s packet monitoring to the Constitutional Court in March 2016 in cooperation with Jinbo Network Center and Catholic Human Rights Council. Packet Monitoring, a new term to most citizens is watching internet line itself. In other word, it allows to see and hear all activities done using the internet by a target subject. The bigger problem is anyone who shares the internet with a target subject regardless of wired or wireless are at risk to exposure.

 

After 22 months passed since the request for constitutionality, public hearing was held on 14 December at the Constitutional Court. PSPD, Minbyun and Jinbo Network have explained to judges why packet monitoring is a violation of constitution. NIS’ packet monitoring must stop because all digital private life in the internet can be watched.

 

 

One-person demonstration relayed to change the Election Law

During 2017, PSPD has been a core organization of <Joint Action for Political reform> which works together to reflect people’s opinions in reforming the Election Act. It has asserted seat allocation according to votes gained by party (Mixed-member proportional representation system), change of restrictions concerning the right to vote such as lowering down voting age and abolition of Article 90 and 93 of the Election Act which regulate voter’s right to expression. However, it has been blocked by sluggish politicians and conflicts of interests. Hence, PSPD and civil organizations carried out one-person demonstration relay in front of the National Assembly and Liberty Party Korea during December. In addition, PSPD requested constitutional decision on 13 December 2017 in respect to limiting voting franchise to 19 years old of age or above of the Public Official Election Act.

 

 

Urged to pass reform legislation and denounced Liberty Party Korea 

Liberty Party has refused to review the bill of establishing an investigation bureau for high-ranking public officers since 21 November. It is one of measures to reform prosecutors and to clean up corruptions related to power and authority. PSPD has suggested adoption of a special investigation bureau in 1996 for the first time but it had faced organizational resistance of the Ministry of Justice and prosecutors all the time. However, it is an election promise of Moon administration and resistance of prosecutors are much weaker now. Nevertheless, it has failed to pass the National Assembly because of opposition of Liberty Party.

Therefore, PSPD has executed intense actions urging Liberty Party to participate in the bill review and to pass it to establish an investigation bureau for high ranking public officers.  

 

 

2017 Public Whistle Blowers’ Night and Righteous Citizen Award

<2017 Public whistle Blowers’ Night and Righteous Citizen Award> was held at the Seoul Press Center on 1 December. PSPD has held Public Whistle Blowers Night since 2010 in order to remind importance of whistle blowing for public interests and express gratitude to their courageous actions. Furthermore, PSPD also has made Righteous Citizen Award to remember their courage and sacrifice.

The awardees of 2017 are Jeong Hyun-sik and his family (spouse Lee Jeong-sook and son Eui-gyeom) who reported corruptions and connections of Choi Sun-sil, Cheongwadae and K Sports Foundation to the Hankyeroh, Kim Gwang-ho who exposed engine defects and failure of executing recall of Hyundai Motors, Shin In-sool who reported illegal distribution of maritime bunker C oil, Kim Eun-sook who exposed wrong expenditure of subsidies by Jeju branch of Korea Legal Aid Center for Family Relations and Lee Myung-yoon who revealed Gwangju nursing home’s concealment of beating dementia patients.

 

Reported DAS slush fund to identify real owner

PSPD and Minbyun have filed a bill of indictment to the prosecutor office on 7 December in regard to slush fund of DAS which is suspected to be owned by a former president Lee Myung-bak. Allegations are embezzlement and tax evasion of Lee Sang-eun, a CEO of DAS and real owner whose name is unknown. Jeong Ho-young, a former BBK special prosecutor is also reported for the charge of neglecting his duty by conniving illegal acts.

Recently, following allegations have been raised by several media. △ In early, 2008, 12 billion won was found from 43 accounts owned by 17 people and it has been deposited to DAS accounts by transferring to other names or depositing again after closing accounts △ Despite Jung Ho-young, a special prosecutor has confirmed borrowed name accounts, he covered it up under the condition of depositing them to DAS accounts △ Accounting treated it as internal transfer from DAS corporation in overseas

 

12 billion won taken care by accounts under 17 names is likely to be a slush fund of Lee Myung-bak who is consistently suspected as a real owner of DAS. If that is true, Lee must be punished for embezzlement in aggravated punishment of specific economic crimes or tax evasion in aggravated punishment of specific crimes. Most of all, if Jung Ho-young found the facts but connived it, he also committed a serious crime.

 

This case was allocated to Seoul Central Prosecutors Office in the first place. However, Yoon Seok-yeol was just one of superintendent public prosecutors dispatched to Jung’s BBK Special Prosecutor Team in 2008 and investigation on slush fund including finding a real owner of DAS did not make progress because of various reasons. Fortunately, an investigation team is formed at Eastern office of prosecutors and has started working on 26 December. Besides reporting to the prosecutors, PSPD has reported DAS and real owner to National Tax Service for evading corporate and income tax and requested Financial Service Commission to investigate allegation on borrowed name accounts which seem to be actually owned by DAS and take following action to correct it. 

 

Pyeongchang Olympics and the Great Shift in Korea

 

 

LEE Seung-hwan South-North Korea Exchanges and Cooperation Support Association

 

 

Korean Peninsula, Spring 2018

 

The series of events that began with the participation of North Korean athletes in the Pyeongchang Olympics and the accompanying visit by the North Korean delegation headed by Kim Yeo-jeong, followed by the visit to North Korea by the South Korean delegation, completely transformed how the Korean Peninsula entered spring this year, by putting an end, at least for the time being, to the nuclear and missile experiments and military drills that had raised the tension between the two Koreas every spring. With the volatility characterizing the state of affairs on the Korean Peninsula so quickly dissolved and the groundwork for the historical summits between the leaders of the two Koreas as well as between the North Korean leader and the U.S. president completed, the Pyeongchang Olympics will likely be remembered as a watershed moment in the Korean struggle for peace.

 

The background to the “nearly miraculous situation in East Asia,” as described by the Japanese government, can be found in the so-called March 5 Accord between Kim Jong-un and the South Korean delegation to Pyongyang. North Korea took the world by surprise by completely reversing its position and embracing the accord encompassing the organization of the third inter-Korean summit, the resumption of the North Korea-U.S. dialogue on the denuclearization of North Korea and the restoration of relations between the two countries, and the possible cessation, by North Korea, of its nuclear and missile experiments, contingent upon the successful continuation of dialogue with the United States. Through the accord, Pyongyang eagerly expressed its willingness to cease the nuclear and missile provocations that have fueled the escalating military tension on the Korean Peninsula and even to contribute to détente by tolerating without any changes to intensity ROK-U.S. joint military exercises slated for April.

 

Background of the March 5 Accord

 

Experts offer a number of different explanations as to the factors motivating the dramatic shift of attitude on the part of North Korea as displayed in the March 5 Accord.

 

The most widely accepted theory is that the international community’s prolonged sanctions against North Korea forced the country into accepting the terms of the accord. Notwithstanding the attendant controversies, these sanctions have been working. UN Security Council Resolution 2270 of March 2016 broadened the scope of the sanction to include comprehensive measures beyond responses to the country’s weapons of mass destruction (WMD) development, and significantly strengthened the intensity of sanctions exercised by China, a country that holds the key to the success of sanctions against North Korea. However, detractors of this theory argue that it is still too early to determine the true effects of these international sanctions, and that sanctions alone could not have changed Pyongyang’s policies so dramatically, given the nature of the Kim regime. These critics alternatively point to the innate change in Pyongyang’s strategy as the more direct source of the about-face displayed in the March 5 Accord. As the Kim Jong-un regime aspires to transform North Korea into a “strategic country” (with normal relations and a capability to shape the order it faces), it has had to address the reality that the extensive development of nuclear programs has failed to significantly improve the North Korean economy. In other words, it has had to embrace the opportunities for increased aid, the removal of sanctions, the signing of a peace agreement, and restoring relations with the United States even if embracing such opportunities would require the denuclearization of North Korea.

 

Even more important than the effects of sanctions and the change in the Kim regime’s strategy are the efforts being made by the Moon Jae-in government. By delaying the joint ROK-US military exercises last December, the Moon government succeeded in inducing Pyongyang’s decision to send North Korean athletes to the Pyeongchang Olympics and to accept the March 5 Accord. By responding, belatedly, to Pyongyang’s offer made in January 2014 that it would cease nuclear and missile experiments should Seoul cease the joint military exercises with the US military, the Moon government enabled Pyongyang to turn its stance around on the state of inter-Korean relations. Without the Moon government’s efforts at persuading Washington and postponing the joint military exercises, neither the sanctions nor the North Korean strategy would have led to this “nearly miraculous situations in East Asia.”

 

Why Sanctions Are Not the Cure-All Solutions to Problems Involving North Korea

 

Both Washington and the general American public view the recent development on the Korean Peninsula with a wary eye, regarding the shift in Pyongyang’s attitude as motivated by the strategic goal of increasing economic gains by putting the option of denuclearization on the negotiation table. President Trump denied that the decision to hold a summit with the North Korean leader was impromptu, but has expressed both doubts and hopes in his tweets: “May be false hope, but the U.S. is ready to go hard in either direction” and “Great progress being made, but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached.”

 

Accordingly, the Trump administration’s new line of diplomacy with North Korea features hardliners like Mike Pompeo and John Bolton, a testament to Washington’s resolve to challenge North Korea even further with military options should its talks with Pyongyang fail.

 

The Liberal Korea Party and conservatives critical of the Moon government in South Korea, on the other hand, have blatantly characterized the change in Pyongyang’s attitude as “a mere security show put on by a hard-pressed North Korea,” expressing distrust and discontent even in the face of Washington’s new willingness to give talks a try. These detractors keep demanding sanctions as the only solutions to all problems involving North Korea, claiming that only stronger and continued sanctions would induce positive change in Kim Jong-un and lower the risk of an armed conflict.

 

Blind trust in sanctions, especially in the absence of a strategy for engagement and dialogue, can have fatal results, however. The current level of sanctions is already so high that it threatens the daily livelihood of North Koreans. Additional sanctions could backfire by tempting North Korea into accelerating its nuclear development program with a view to breaking through the uncomfortable status quo with violent actions. Unlike other countries, South Korea, too, stands to lose much from continued sanctions against North Korea. The May 24 Sanction Measures, the restriction on tourism to Mt. Kumgang, and the shutdown of the Kaesong Industrial Park all intended to hurt the North Korean economy, but also ended up damaging South Korean businesses just as much. Unconditional sanctions against North Korea, in other words, presents a self-destructive strategy from the South Korean perspective that increases the risks of war. Unconditional sanctions should not form South Korea’s strategy on long-term relations with the North.

 

Trilemma of Peace on the Korean Peninsula

 

The three main goals the South Korean government seeks to achieve with the Great Shift on the Korean Peninsula are denuclearization, the establishment of a peace regime, and the continuation of the Korea-US alliance. Two of these three goals may be achieved without much conflict, but all three cannot be achieved at the same time. Until now, all the parties involved have been pursuing different goals—South Korea, the establishment of a peace regime on the peninsula; the United States, the denuclearization of North Korea; and North Korea, its own rise as a “strategic country.” The three countries are now compelled to find effective measures to overcome this trilemma in order to achieve their objectives.

 

The Pyeongchang Olympics and the March 5 Accord created a new opening in this search for possible solutions to this trilemma. Pyongyang has so far sought to become a strategic country by amassing a nuclear arsenal. Through the March 5 Accord, however, it has offered to sit down for a summit with the US president and showed a willingness to make political and economic gains by giving up (allegedly) “completed” nuclear programs. Note Kim Jong-un’s remark to the South Korean delegation that North Korea “would like to be taken seriously as a partner of dialogue.”

 

Recall the five conditions of denuclearization Pyongyang demanded in an official statement released on July 6, 2016. The five conditions included in this July 6 Proposition were: (1) the disclosure of U.S. nuclear weapons brought into South Korea; (2) the abolition of all nuclear weapons and their bases in South Korea; (3) the prohibition on the introduction of nuclear strike assets into the Korean Peninsula; (4) the confirmation of the prohibition on the use of nuclear weapons against North Korea; and (5) the declaration, by Washington, of the withdrawal of US troops from South Korea with their ability to launch nuclear weapons. The proposition repeats much of the conditions listed in the Joint Statement on the Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula of 1992, with the withdrawal of US troops additionally demanded. Washington has stated that it has either already satisfied or is willing to entertain the four earlier conditions. The only remaining problem between Washington and Pyongyang is therefore the latter’s latest demand that the former withdraw its troops from South Korea. 

 

Pyongyang, however, was careful to hedge its last demand, limiting the scope of troops to be withdrawn to those with the ability to launch nuclear weapons, and also demanding not the immediate withdrawal per se, but the declaration to that effect. Pyongyang, in fact, has expressed much willingness to tolerate the American military presence in South Korea at every major opportunity for negotiation. At the South-North Korean Summit of 2000, Kim Jong-il famously remarked that the US troops in South Korea should remain not as a force hostile to North Korea, but as the keepers of peace on the Korean Peninsula.

 

A Bold Proposition for the Inter-Korean and DPRK-US Summits

 

There are, in other words, a number of measures that all three parties may adopt toward solving the trilemma involving the denuclearization of North Korea, the continuation of the ROK-US alliance, and the establishment of a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula. These include guaranteeing the security of North Korea by implementing the Joint Statement on the Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, guaranteeing North Korea’s entry into the international community and its prospects for future prosperity by lifting sanctions, and guaranteeing the United States’ continued influence on East Asia by agreeing to keep US troops in South Korea without nuclear capabilities. The denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula without the withdrawal of US troops is perhaps the best possible scenario to which both Koreas and the United States could agree. The realization of that scenario would amount to the establishment of a joint security regime involving all three countries on a denuclearized Korean Peninsula. The rise of such a regime, in turn, would imply the accumulation of sincere and mutual trust among the three countries.

 

The establishment of a military alliance between North Korea and the United States, as demanded by some hardliners, would represent a more advanced form of such joint security regime. Hardliners like Hong Seok-hyeon thus demand that the Trump administration ought to work on enhancing the pro-US stance of Pyongyang by explicitly saying “No” to toppling the Kim regime, working towards the collapse of the Kim regime, accelerating the Korean unification, and moving US troops north of the 38th Parallel.

 

Once the three countries begin to develop mutual trust in one another by exercising new and bold ideas unbounded by the conventional mold of hostile relations, they will be able to maintain the impetus for denuclearization notwithstanding differences in detail. The peacebuilding process based upon such mutual trust would differ significantly from the step-by-step denuclearization and peacebuilding processes envisioned by the September 19 Joint Statement of 2005. In order to capitalize upon the current “miracle-like” opportunity created by the Pyeongchang Olympics and the Great Shift, bold actions akin to cutting the Gordian Knot are required.

 

Multilayered Approaches to North Korea and Expanding Civilian Exchange

 

The current state of affairs on the Korean Peninsula differs markedly from similar opportunities for peace that arose in the past, as the current situation requires bold actions and a firm commitment to peace. The solution required by the current situation would involve solving the major obstacles to peace on the Korean Peninsula early in the negotiation process. This, in turn, requires mutual trust and friendship among the two Koreas and the United States, which is crucial to maintain the drive for peace until the final end of the negotiation process, i.e., the permanent denuclearization of North Korea.

 

Another interesting characteristic of the current situation is that the peacebuilding process is guided in a top-down fashion with the strong commitment of the leaders involved. Given the complexity of the Korean Question and the history of distrust among the countries involved, a top-down approach involving a series of summits is crucial for solving the problems early on and establishing sufficient trust in a short span of time. At present, civilian exchange among the three countries involved would be restrained until local elections are held in South Korea in June, even all the while preparations are being made for the summits and high-level official talks.

 

Nevertheless, peacebuilding between South and North Koreas should be a multilayered process, and civilians have as important a role to play in the unification process as governments. Efforts should therefore be made in various areas in order to expand the opportunities for civilian exchange between the two Koreas shortly after the summits are held.

 

Both the South and North Korean governments, in particular, ought to address the issue of promoting exchange at multiple levels as part of the summit. Although the upcoming South-North Korean summit will mainly focus on denuclearization, peacebuilding, the evolution of inter-Korean relations, and economic cooperation with the United States, the leaders of both Koreas should not neglect the importance of restoring the ecosystem for rich civilian exchange at multiple levels. The two Korean leaders could provide a significant boost for continued and stronger civilian exchange if they embrace a written resolution to guarantee and support civilian exchange at various levels irrespective of political and military tension. By embracing such a resolution, the two Korean leaders could effectively declare their commitment to diversifying inter-Korean relations over and beyond government control.

 

 

This essay is the first essay written for the 2018 Peace Report Project of the Civil Peace Forum,

under the sponsorship of Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Korea Office.

 

[2018 Peace Report] See/Download

People Power 2017, This Month of PSPD
 

It’s been three months since Moon administration started its sailing. PSPD is making every effort to propose good policies and promote reforms in order for the new government to respond to wishes of candle citizens. At the same time, it would not hesitate to fight against powers which interfere with reforms of the government or the National Assembly.

It is the 30th Anniversary of June Democracy Movement this year. Together with 5.18 Gwangju Democratization Movement, they provided a foundation to start democracy in Korea. Taking this opportunity, we would like to express sincere respect and gratitude for who have been sacrificed or had tribulation while fighting for the democracy in Korea, human rights and livelihood of the people.
  
 
Project to support livelihood of whistle blowers 

Whistle blowers have contributed to reveal the truth but many of them get fired or discriminated afterwards. Succeeding from last year, PSPD carries out ’2017 project to support whistle blowers’ for who suffer from financial and psychological difficulties. Living expenses of two million won for six months to the maximum is paid to who lost income by dismissal or discharge and legal and psychological help are provided if required. It is a support program of the Beautiful Foundation, and Minbyun, Civil Society Organizations Network in Korea, Human Rights Medical Institute and PSPD cooperate to implement. PSPD will keep trying to do its best to build a society where whistle blowers are protected.

 
The Board of Audit and Inspection of Korea commences the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) audit

PSPD has requested public interest audit for the MOFA and Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) on 19 April in respect to concealing and deleting Korea AID project (ODA projects in Africa) documents and records. On 16 June, PSPD received a letter from the Board of Audit and Inspection of Korea that the audit has begun. Despite of having responsibility to prevent internal corruption and control wrongdoing, the MOFA kept silence and let people’s tax to be abused to pursue personal interest through ODA project. Furthermore, the MOFA ordered KOICA to delete related documents and data, and even conceal them despite of involvement of the Blue House and Mir Foundation in Korea Aid project was revealed during National Assembly Audit last September. Monopolizing national administration committed by Park Geun-hye and Choi Sun-sil has been found in various fields but not all revealed yet. Through this audit, all corruption has to be found concerning Korea Aid and responsibility must be asked to public servants for illegal and unjust acts so that the same thing does not happen in the future.

  
Kimpo screen horseracing plan withdrawn
It’s been more than 1,500 days since demonstration started to stop screen horseracing from Yongsan in order to sustain peaceful residential area and safe school environment. Screen horseracing should be kicked out from Yongsan to restore safe and peaceful surrounding. Fortunately, Kimpo screen horseracing planned by Korea Racing Authority was dropped out. Therefore, horseracing matter in Yongsan and Wolpyongdong of Daejeon has to be resolved soon, too.
Kim Young-rok, a candidate for ministry of agriculture and fishery responded on 28 June at hearing that screen horseracing in Yongsan needs to be moved. Hence, Moon administration is expected to take actions as soon as possible as follow. △ Reconsider gambling and speculation business from scratch △ Reduce speculation industry and enhance regulation on state speculation projects to reduce harms and abuses △ Closedown of screen horseracing in Yongsan and Daejeon.

  
People encircled the US Embassy demanding to withdraw THAAD deployment

THAAD deployment threats the peace of Korean peninsula and increases tension in Northeast Asia so that people keep protesting to stop THAAD deployment which will be used by US in Korea. There has been constant struggle of residents in Kimcheon and Seongju of Gyeongbuk province and protest of religious field including Won Buddhism is getting stronger. That is because THAAD has no benefits but harms. It worsens the relationship not only with North Korea but also with China. It also increases financial burden and destroys regional community.
Therefore, people gathered in Seoul Square on 24 June and shouted out ‘Go away THAAD, Come Peace’. ‘National Action to Stop THAAD deployment in Korea’ filed an injunction and Seoul Administration Court allowed the demonstration to encircle US Embassy on 23 June for the very first time in history. Hence, participants peacefully surrounded the US Embassy making human belt and delivered a message to US ‘Don’t force THAAD deployment’. PSPD will actively continue with actions to stop THAAD, improve South-North Korean relationship and achieve peace in Korean peninsula in cooperation with people who love peace.

Problems with Special employment labor must be settled

Have you ever heard a word ‘Special employment labor‘? How is it different from regular workers? The fundamental problem is that they are forced to gain an owner or self-employer status that they are not entitled to exercise three basic labor rights. For instance, cargo drivers, construction heavy machine workers, parcel deliveryman, workbook teachers, after-school teachers, insurance salesman, golf caddie, broadcast writers, work-at-home postman, they are all categorized as special employment labor and exist in various industries and jobs. Although their works are same as ordinary workers, they are not recognized as they are and not protected by labor laws such as Basic Labor Standard and Trade Union and Labor Relations Adjustment Act.

Labor Society Committee of PSPD, Special Employment Labor Council of Korea Confederation of Trade Union and Minbyun held a press conference on 27 June requesting to secure three basic labor rights for special employment labor, and submitted a letter of opinion to National Administration Planning Advisory Committee urging to include this matter in national reform tasks of the new government.

 

Recently, National Human Rights Commission released recommendation to secure labor rights of special employment labor. Therefore, the government and the National Assembly should start working to change regulations accepting the recommendation.
 

Urge to dispose privatizing railways and integrate Railway Service and Rail Network Authority
Moon government has established ‘National Administration Planning Advisory Committee’ and started to select tasks to fulfill election promises. ‘Civil society for Making Railways for Public Interest’ which is consisted of 213 civil and social organizations including Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice, PSPD and YMCA presented a statement on 20 June demanding to adopt policy that enhances public interest and safety of railway service, and delivered a letter of opinion to the National Administration Planning Advisory Committee.

President Moon agreed to integrate Korea Railway Service and Korea Rail Network Authority at policy response session on 14 April and gave reasons as follow.  ① There is no synergy in terms of railway rental fee, station area development but creates conflicts between authorities. ② Separating facility management and maintenance increases accidents threatening railway safety ③ Integration is unavoidable in terms of national competitiveness ④ Technology is much behind advanced states and integration can be a breakthrough. They are all what Civil Society for Making Railways for Public Interest has been insisting.

The Civil Society will actively urge and work together for Moon government to include the integration in national tasks and execute it at the early stage of his term in order to strengthen public interest and international competitiveness of Korea Railway.