President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un hold hands after signing a joint statement during their summit at the truce village of Panmunjeom, April 27, 2018. / Korea Times file
NK unresponsive as Panmunjeom Declaration marks second anniversary
By Do Je-hae
The second anniversary of the Panmunjeom Declaration today is raising questions about the effectiveness of the Moon Jae-in administration's renewed focus on improving inter-Korean relations following his party's April 15 general election victory.
The main outcome of the first summit between President Moon and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, the declaration was initially seen as a major impetus to significantly improve inter-Korean relations by reaffirming the leaders' resolve to reduce military tension and establish permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula.
"The Panmunjom Declaration was a diplomatic achievement, but its two-year anniversary is marked by disappointment and concern. North Korea has shown little to no willingness for inter-Korean cooperation and now its capability is in doubt with the uncertainty surrounding Kim Jong-un," said Leif-Eric Easley, associate professor of international studies at Ewha Womans University in Seoul. "Pyongyang could clearly benefit from Seoul's humanitarian assistance. But the Kim regime has demanded larger economic benefits that are not possible as long as North Korea refuses to denuclearize to earn sanctions relief. So Pyongyang is likely to focus on its domestic politics and military capabilities."
Some experts on the Korean Peninsula are pointing out that there is not much to celebrate the second year of the landmark agreement as North Korea remains unresponsive toward Moon's repeated call, irrespective of U.S. disapproval, for joining hands on economic projects.
"The second anniversary of the declaration is, unfortunately, a monument to failed diplomacy. Mostly this is the fault of bad faith by North Korea and incompetence by the Trump administration, but Moon has made mis-steps as well," Mason Richey, a professor of international politics at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, told The Korea Times.
"It is doubly unfortunate because a serious, long-term, well-managed diplomatic process on the Korean Peninsula might not only help lead to an acceptable conclusion on Pyongyang's nuclear weapons, but also create stability, which is a special concern during this tense time of rumors regarding the health of Kim Jong-un."
