Kyungryeolyeon Urges Active Resolution of Korean Peninsula Issues by Establishing 'Nambuk Working Group'

President Moon Jae-in and North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un shake hands on May 26 last year at the Tongilgak building in the northern area of Panmunjom before the 2nd Inter-Korean Summit.
Photo by Cheong Wa Dae

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice (CCEJ) has urged the government to take a proactive approach to North Korea policy and actively engage in resolving the Korean Peninsula issue. In particular, they argued that instead of the Korea-US Working Group, which rather hinders inter-Korean relations, a South-North Working Group should be established to resolve the Korean Peninsula issue.

On the 16th, CCEJ issued a statement saying that as the 20th anniversary of the June 15 Inter-Korean Summit approaches, inter-Korean relations are destined to face a crisis. CCEJ emphasized, "The government should dispatch a special envoy to North Korea to continue responsible dialogue between the South and North Korean authorities," and "Furthermore, instead of the ‘Korea-US Working Group’ which obstructs inter-Korean relations, a ‘South-North Working Group’ should be established, led by the parties involved, to actively work on resolving the Korean Peninsula issue."

They also urged the National Assembly to prepare laws and systems for resolving the Korean Peninsula issue through ratification of the Panmunjom Declaration and the September Pyongyang Joint Declaration, as well as a comprehensive revision of the Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Act.

CCEJ stated, "Although North Korea has hinted at a tough response through successive statements, such remarks are tantamount to breaking inter-Korean agreements and could lead to the mistake of reverting inter-Korean relations to the state before the April 27 Panmunjom Declaration," adding, "The South and North should stop actions that worsen the situation and actively work to implement inter-Korean agreements."

They further criticized, "The government expresses strong will to resolve the Korean Peninsula issue, but it remains an empty echo," pointing out that "this is because inter-Korean relations, lacking concrete solutions for resolving the Korean Peninsula issue, are treated merely as an event."

Regarding North Korea, CCEJ emphasized that it must not lead inter-Korean relations to a crisis. They said, "If inter-Korean agreements are broken and military provocations resume, the situation will only worsen," and "Already, within South Korea, skepticism toward inter-Korean agreements is growing, and public opinion turning away is increasing. Hostile rhetoric and responses cannot solve the current problems, so communication channels must be restored promptly to engage in dialogue."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.