The Reemergence of the 'Nambuk Gyeonghyeop' Card... Rough Road Ahead with Opposition Party Blocking National Assembly Ratification

President Moon's Solution for Easing Korean Peninsula Tensions, North Korea's Response Uncertain... Accountability Debate for Government Authorities and Security Officials Including Ministry of Unification

[Asia Economy reporters Ryu Jeong-min and Son Seon-hee] President Moon Jae-in has presented the 'inter-Korean economic cooperation' card as a solution to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula, but skepticism is spreading that it is difficult to expect a positive response from North Korea. This is because the inter-Korean economic cooperation proposal is nothing new, and the environment makes it difficult for a situation reversal to occur in the short term.

On the 15th, in a congratulatory speech marking the 20th anniversary of the June 15th North-South Joint Declaration, President Moon emphasized, "There are certainly projects that the South and the North can carry out independently." This is a message urging the South and North to join forces and push forward on matters that can be done without the consent of the international community, including the United States.

This is not the first time President Moon has emphasized 'the theory of the Korean Peninsula as its own master' and stressed autonomous cooperation between the South and North. It was a core and fundamental goal of his 'New (Shin) Economic Initiative for the Korean Peninsula,' which he highlighted from his presidential campaign through his inauguration.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On February 19 of last year, about a week before the second North Korea-U.S. summit, President Moon told U.S. President Donald Trump in a phone call, "I am prepared to take on the role of even handling inter-Korean economic cooperation projects."

In this year's New Year's address, President Moon further emphasized his will for autonomous cooperation in a stronger tone. As North Korea has repeatedly failed to respond positively to President Moon's successive solutions, some quarters are raising accountability issues regarding the security line, including the Ministry of Unification.

Jeong Se-hyun, Senior Vice Chairman of the Democratic Peaceful Unification Advisory Council, pointed out the passive attitude of government officials in a radio interview, saying, "If the Mount Kumgang tourism, which started during the Kim Dae-jung administration, had required permission from the U.S., it would never have begun."

Dissatisfaction with the Blue House security line is also being sensed. A Blue House official said, "If it was for dialogue with North Korea, sometimes even a 'bold proposal' should have been made, but looking back, the security line did not actively move and only wasted time," criticizing their inaction.

Experts diagnose that the tense situation on the Korean Peninsula will continue for the time being. In fact, on the 16th, the day after President Moon's message, North Korean forces declared the fortification of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), further escalating tensions.

Meanwhile, although President Moon emphasized the importance of parliamentary ratification, the outlook remains uncertain. On the 15th, at a Blue House senior secretaries and aides meeting, President Moon expressed regret, saying, "If the (inter-Korean) agreements had been ratified by the National Assembly and maintained continuity without ups and downs depending on the administration, inter-Korean relations would have developed much more than now."

In this regard, the ruling party is pushing for parliamentary ratification of the inter-Korean summit agreements, but since the ruling and opposition parties are in direct conflict over the distribution of standing committee chairmanships, it is not easy to seek bipartisan cooperation.

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