Letters | North Korea’s message should spark a rethink of the South’s peace strategy

Readers discuss why the South Korean fantasy of achieving intra-Korean peace through appeasement has been shattered, and parallels between Russia and Israel

Reading Time:3 minutes

Kim Yo-jong, sister of North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un, attends a wreath-laying ceremony at Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum in Hanoi, Vietnam, on March 2, 2019. Kim Yo-jong has issued a statement on South Korea’s diplomatic and defence strategies. Photo: AP

Published: 11:30am, 11 Jan 2024

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On January 2, Kim Yo-jong, the vice-director of the central committee of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea, issued a statement titled “New Year Message to the President of the Republic of Korea” in which she scrutinised South Korea’s diplomatic and defence strategies while underscoring the significance of nuclear development in the North.

While the global media has extensively covered Kim’s threats regarding nuclear advancements, limited attention has been directed towards Pyongyang’s position on Korean progressives.

It is worthwhile to reflect on the historical actions of progressive politicians such as former South Korean president Moon Jae-in. The progressive faction in South Korea, appearing somewhat detached from reality, often seeks to placate North Korea by making concessions. Moon, for instance, went to the extent of signing joint declarations with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at the expense of national security and eventually strained diplomatic ties with the US.

Kim Yo-jong, having witnessed previous North-South summits, adopted a derisive tone towards South Korean progressive politicians, depicting Moon as “a difficult opponent to deal with and someone skilled at taking care of security”, thereby raising questions about his sincerity in improving inter-Korea relations. One can only speculate on Moon’s reaction to such a dismissive statement.

It is apparent that the South Korean fantasy of achieving intra-Korean peace through appeasement has been shattered. Unless South Korean progressives compromise national security, akin to the notorious traitor Lee Wan-yong, who signed the 1910 treaty that placed Korea under Japanese rule, the Kim dynasty is unlikely to make the slightest concession to South Korea.