DPRK Opens Opportunity for Peace Amidst the 70 Year-Long Korean War
This Thursday on June 25th marks the 70th anniversary since the Korean War broke out. 70 years is long, an entire generation in fact. Over 170 lawmakers in South Korea propose declaring a resolution to the Korean War, but since the UN forces led by General McArthur from the United States was the opposing party in the war, South Korea cannot declare an end to the war themselves. The United States must be on board to decide once and for all to put an end to this painful, divisive war.
Conflict between North and South Korea is on the rise. On June 16, 2020, the DPRK destroyed the joint communication office between North and South Korea located in the northern border city of Kaesong. The four-story building built by South Korea on North Korean soil was meant to facilitate dialogue between the two countries. And even though the building was closed since January 30th due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the fact that the DPRK completely demolished the building by an explosion is significant.
The joint liaison office in Kaesong, DPRK
Although this response from the DPRK may seem to be drastic, it is an example of the seriousness of the situation on the Korean Peninsula. The DPRK is no longer interested in empty talks. They do not want to agree to summits that lead to unfulfilled promises and no action. What the DPRK wants is for the United States and South Korea to end the 70-year war that has ravaged the Korean Peninsula.
North Korea is preparing to up the intensity of the stand-still through a military response by replacing soldiers along the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) at the 38th Parallel. Yet, just this Wednesday morning the DPRK leadership announced that they will postpone such actions. North Korea is opening up a window of opportunity for both the U.S. and South Korea to deescalate the Korean conflict.
The Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) along the 38th Parallel
What can be seen as an act of destruction by the North can be turned into something positive. North Korea did not attack foreign soil. They demolished a building on their own land. It was a strong symbolic gesture, a declaration that the summits between both the North and the South and the United States and the North have been failures. Talk is cheap. Action speaks louder, the DPRK is shouting.
Demolishing the liaison center between the North and the South was actually a sign that the DPRK wants more engagement. “You talk the talk, but can you walk the walk?” North Korea is asking. Thus far, the DPRK has released all U.S. detainees, returned the remains of U.S. soldiers from the Korean War, and has cut down on their nuclear program. But what has been done in exchange? The United States has maintained maximum pressure demanding an “all or nothing” approach. There has been no incentive for North Korea to continue to negotiate and talk in light of minimal cooperation from the United States.
In the midst of COVID-19, along with the rest of the world, the DPRK is seeking economic incentives. They already have a nation-wide mandate to improve the nation’s economy, but both U.S. and global sanctions restrict any and all economic development within the country. Humanitarian assistance is the first step; however, North Korea is more interested in upgrading their entire infrastructure and joining the world economy.
More than anything, the DPRK is asking for an end to the Korean War. In an effort to work towards peace, the United States can be promoting healthy engagement with the DPRK. One of the key areas of engagement is humanitarian outreach and development. Unfortunately, current sanctions significantly deter and delay humanitarian aid from reaching North Korea. Multiple licenses and exemptions are required to provide humanitarian assistance to the DPRK, and this takes months if not years of time and effort. In addition, the current U.S. geographic travel restriction greatly restricts humanitarian workers from entering the country, delivering aid, and verifying appropriate allocation of goods.
The U.S. State Department is discussing the possibility of preparing multiple-entry Special Validation Passports for humanitarian workers to enter North Korea. This is one positive step forward, but in and of itself, it is insufficient. Unless Special Validation Passports are received in a timely manner, within a month’s time, humanitarian organizations cannot assist the most urgent needs on the ground. Even the fact that sanctions and travel restrictions hinder humanitarian outreach is a problem in itself. Humanitarian organizations and workers should be exempt and not subject to global sanctions or U.S. travel restrictions.
Despite all of these obstacles, we are grateful that our organization, Ignis Community, is able to currently send in a limited amount of medical and food relief inside the DPRK. This is largely thanks to our long-term experience in the nation for over ten years as well as the relationships we have fostered within the country. Not all humanitarian organizations are as lucky, though, and humanitarian outreach is declining in the DPRK at just the time when not only the DPRK but the entire world needs it the most.
The U.N. Charter article 2.3 states that “All members shall settle their international disputes by peaceful means in such a manner that international peace and security, and justice, are not endangered.” The goal of the U.N. is indeed to foster peace. And even if declaring an end to the Korean War is not possible at this moment, we should at least try to reach out to the DPRK in a humanistic way. Humanitarian work should not be sanctioned, but the fact that it has indicates the severity of the situation on the Korean Peninsula.
Putting an end to the Korean War is urgent. How long can we continue this dangerous stand-still without serious repercussions? Maximum pressure against the DPRK through economic sanctions over the past several decades has obviously not worked. It is time to re-engage in a positive manner. It is time to reach out in a humanistic, honoring way. It is time to finally declare an end to this 70 year-long war!