Progress to Peace Between North and South Korea

South Korean newspaper Hankyoreh estimates that North and South Korea have already fully implemented nine out of 25 agreement reached in a pair of summits between Korea’s leaders in April and September.

36% of the two statements implemented, 52% being deliberated

There were also two agreements (8%) that failed (holding an inter-Korean event on June 15 and a performance by a Pyongyang art troupe in Seoul in October), while there is one agreement whose implementation is contingent on other factors (deliberating the questions of the Kaesong Industrial Complex, resuming tourism to Mt. Kumgang and creating a joint economic zone on the West Sea and a joint tourism zone on the East Sea).

The inter-Korean agreements generally fall into three categories, namely inter-Korean relations, easing military tensions on the Korean Peninsula, and building a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula. Of the three categories, inter-Korean relations by far represent the greatest number of the agreements, or 17 out of 25. For the same reason, more agreements in this category have been implemented (seven) than other categories, and more are also being deliberated (seven).

Groundbreaking for roads and railways and the end-of-war declaration within the year?

There is one-year deadline for a groundbreaking ceremony for connecting roads and railways and the end-of-war declaration. The US holds that South Korea must ask and receive approval from the UN Security Council Sanctions Committee on North Korea before it can hold the roads and railways survey and groundbreaking. Currently, the South Korean government is deliberating with the US to work out this issue.

Peace regime on the Korean Peninsula depends on North Korea-US negotiations

Unfortunately, no agreements have been implemented yet in the area of building a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula. This requires South and North Korea but also of Korea’s neighbors and parties to the armistice agreement, including the US and China. North Korea’s denuclearization is wholly dependent upon the results of North Korea-US dialogue.

The South Korean government is concentrating on helping the US gain a better understanding of North Korea’s position.

7 thoughts on “Progress to Peace Between North and South Korea”

  1. Looks as if NK and SK are seeking their best mutual interests. Likely to happen slowly, but my armchair prediction is only a token force of Americans in five years, and a planned economic integration that might take fifteen years. It’s all good news for NK citizens, and a lot of bad news (expense) for SKs…thus to make more palatable to SKs should happen gradually. See unification of Germany for the pattern.

  2. Funny to notice that now that the US is on the decline and the world is getting rid of their influence so many problems are solved: no more many wars in Africa, NK-SK peace..

  3. “Because of Trump, within a year we will be in World War III in Korea!”

    — Pretty much every loudmouth on the American Left shortly after the 2016 election

  4. I know real South Koreans. When it comes to how the South Koreans feel about something, what the media reports is as wildly different from the reality as news reports about the US would be if the media only talked to Pelosi, or Trump, or even Bernie, especially if those three didn’t have nearly as many supporters as they appear to.

  5. I hope for peace there as well. North Korea especially needs it to help raise the living standards of their people. Fingers are crossed.

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