[Editorial] First Step in Building Trust Over North-South Military Issues

The agreement the two Koreas reached after overnight negotiations at a general-level military talk has meaning in that it represents a primary step in trust building over military issues. What is better, both parties showed an outward-looking attitude and steered the talk to success by accepting each others’ proposals. We welcome the precedent proving dialogue as a tension appeaser, even for military issues.

The fact that the North and the South agreed to work together to forestall future naval clashes represents their resolution to prevent recurrence of the bloodshed that occurred in 1999 and 2002. Since they agreed to inter-vessel communications and a variety of means of communication for responsible parties, we hope they make thoroughly good on the agreement to prevent the recurrence of tragic accidents.

Their agreement to suspend propaganda activities and to remove propaganda equipment along the DMZ is not less meaningful. If they abandon aggravating slander at the point of military confrontation, it will certainly quicken reconciliation between the North and the South to that extent.

However, the military dialogue between the North and the South just made a start. They should not be complacent about this small start. They should gear towards making peace by reducing military tensions. Doesn’t the gravest source of concern on the Korean peninsular stem from the huge military powers in confrontation along the DMZ?

In order for military talks to get on track, the level of dialogue and the scope of agenda should be expanded first. General-level talks, which deal with a limited set of issues, are not enough. Talks between defense ministers, which were suspended after a single round, should be reinitiated promptly to discuss a comprehensive agenda including arms control. If economic dialogue is a back road, then military dialogue is a shortcut to peace. To ease military tensions, the North and the South should put at least the same amount of efforts into military dialogue as they do into economic trade.