Ignoring the Man to the North

As for the missile launch, it has been rather quiet here in Daejeon, an hour south of Seoul. There has been no public response other than President Lee's condemnation. I believe the general sentiment is that this is just further posturing by Kim Jung-Il for international power and aid. Most Koreans seem to accept that and let it go. There is not a sense of fear, just passive disapproval of Kim Jung-Il's actions.

The six-party talks did little to prevent the launch, and the UNSC resolution banning NK from missile testing has been ineffective. I believe another UNSC resolution will be just as bane. The South says they want to re-unify with the North, and most Koreans consider both sides family so there isn't much resentment, rather pity. News from the North, from refugees, suggests a bleak picture. The people of the North, I believe, want change yet are not prepared to rebel against Kim Jung-Il and seem to have some pride in the concept of Junche, the policy of total self-reliance. Of course, it is difficult to confirm these suspicions since the North is so closed to the outside.

My belief is that nothing will change through further dialogue with the leadership of NK. Kim Jung-Il will continue to disregard the 6-party talks and UN. Probably nothing will change until Kim Jung-Il's death. This doesn't mean that dialogue should cease however. And though I recognize the right to self-determination and the autonomy of the North, I don't perceive Kim Jung-Il as representing the needs of all the people. Therefore, I think countries should begin to brainstorm forms of non-violent intervention. Military intervention is not an option--it would be catastrophic against the world's fourth largest army and detrimental to the people. And hard-line sanctions versus aid from the South has done little to help. At any rate, I hope the North opens soon and the people are allowed to travel freely.

When the North and South are re-unified, if they are, the South has tremendous responsibility to not shove its politics and economics on the North and to work with the people of NK to create a joint government that both sides can agree to. I believe the South should be cautious of forcing its neo-liberal economics and privatization on the North. Both sides must be clear that it is not the North joining the South, but a unification of two different yet similar entities and a completely new country born from the two.

Of course, perhaps the North will not join the South. They may remain two different nations in democracy. But to get to this point the policy of Junche needs to be retired and the people themselves given self-determination. I hope the discourse concerning North/South relations and their shared future will remain in the public sphere, but for now everything is quiet where I reside. The threat from the launch will pass as quickly as the cherry blossoms come and go, and even the markets have paid little attention to the missile. Maybe South Koreans understand something I don't--perhaps this is the best way to disengage Kim Jung-Il, to pay him no attention whatsoever.