[Opinion] Condolence Visits

On October 26 of last year when Kim Yong-soon, the secretary of the South Korean Affairs at North Korea’s ruling Workers’ Party, died from complications suffered from a car accident, there was a proposal within the government which had a hearing but was not materialized: sending an official caller of condolence. Eventually, Chung Se-hyun, the minister of unification, expressed his personal condolence at “the tragic turn of events” at a forum by civilian groups. The government has responded wisely.

The South Korean Affairs secretary is the position that is comprehensively responsible for the North’s strategy against Korea. It supervises not only agitation and propaganda but also espionage in the South. As far as Kim Yong-soon as an individual goes, the South may make any personal comment on him. It is not far-fetching to believe that he has played a role in improving North-South relations. Frequent talks and conversation may develop a personal attachment. Nevertheless, the government of the Republic of Korea cannot express condolence for the death of South Korean Affairs Secretary Kim Yong-soon. This is the issue of legitimacy. The North hasn’t expressed its respects for the death of a South official.

The principle has been well respected under the Kim Dae-jung government. Here is how Park Ji-won, Kim’s chief of staff, recalls, “In June 2000, when the date for the North-South summit was finalized, the North insisted President Kim on visiting Marshall Kim Il-sung’s mausoleum to show respects. Although I could obtain Defense Committee Chairman Kim Jung-il’s consent against the visit, I still worried. One left turn by the motorcade from Baekhwawon, the North’s VIP house, will bring us to Keumsusan Mausoleum. Once the North decides, we will end up in the mausoleum. Fortunately, the North made good on its promise. The push-and-pull over this issue delayed the start of the summit by one day.”

The government said it won’t authorize condolence visits to the North for the 10th memorial year of Marshall Kim Il-sung’s death which falls on July 4. At issue is not expressing respect but the purpose of the visit. Even if visitors promise not to participate in the memorial events in writing, it is fundamentally impossible to follow them through their travels and check their every move. It is all up to each visitor’s discretion. They must not be swayed by the North’s urging. Any recklessness should not strain the North-South relations which has begun to eke out some progress since the Roh Moo-hyun government took office. What a delicate security environment we are in in terms of changes in the Korea-U.S. alliance and many other factors.

Editorialist Lee Jae-ho leejaeho@donga.com