Restoration of Inter-Korean Communication Line... Will the 'Korean Peninsula Peace Process' Restart?

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporters Park Cheol-eung and Lee Ji-eun] With South and North Korea agreeing to restore communication lines after 13 months, there is intense interest in whether the long-disrupted inter-Korean dialogue will resume and if a breakthrough can be made in the frozen inter-Korean relations. There is also speculation that the "Korean Peninsula Peace Process" could be reactivated in the final phase of the Moon Jae-in administration.

Park Soo-hyun, Senior Secretary for Public Communication at the Blue House, announced in a briefing on the 21st, "South and North Korea agreed to restore the inter-Korean communication lines that had been cut off, effective at 10 a.m. on the 27th, and have conducted an initial test call." The restoration of the communication lines between the two Koreas comes about 13 months after North Korea unilaterally severed them on June 9 of last year. At that time, North Korea condemned the distribution of leaflets and completely cut off the inter-Korean communication lines, the East-West Sea communication lines, the inter-Korean test communication lines, and the direct hotline between the two leaders.

The order to sever the lines was issued by Kim Yo-jong, Deputy Director of the Workers' Party. Five days before the communication lines were cut, Kim Yo-jong released a statement expressing anger over defectors distributing leaflets, saying, "Trash not even worth the price of a person recklessly touched our highest dignity." Subsequently, despite criticism from opposition parties, the government took measures such as blocking defectors' leaflet distribution through the "Act on the Development of Inter-Korean Relations (Anti-Leaflet Act)," but dialogue with North Korea was not immediately restored.

Even after the communication lines were cut, our government continued efforts to contact North Korea. Through the South Korea-U.S. summit, a consensus was formed on a North Korea policy based on dialogue and diplomacy, and a "South-North Video Conference Room" was established on the third floor of the Inter-Korean Summit Headquarters to enable non-face-to-face talks despite the COVID-19 situation. On the other hand, North Korea maintained silence outwardly. A Ministry of Unification official stated at a meeting with reporters last month marking one year since the communication cut, "We send signal tones every weekday at 9 a.m., but there has been no response from the North."

However, the leaders of South and North Korea have been exchanging letters behind the scenes. Park said, "Since April, the two leaders have exchanged letters several times, communicating on the issue of restoring inter-Korean relations, and through this process, they agreed to first restore the severed communication lines."

Park added, "The two leaders also shared the intention to quickly restore mutual trust and advance relations between South and North Korea," and said, "The restoration of the inter-Korean communication lines is expected to positively contribute to the improvement and development of inter-Korean relations going forward."

Meanwhile, if this restoration of communication lines marks a significant turning point in inter-Korean relations, it is likely to have a considerable impact on the presidential election, which is just over seven months away. With President Moon maintaining relatively high approval ratings without a lame-duck effect, a phase of inter-Korean dialogue could make the Blue House a central figure in the political landscape. This will increase interest in ruling party candidates, especially strengthening the influence of the "Pro-Moon" (Pro-Moon Jae-in) support base.

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