Kim’s Visit North Sparks Envoy Debate

“He is a special envoy of President Roh Moo-hyun”; “No, he is visiting as a private citizen.”

President Roh’s support of former President Kim Dae-jung’s visit to North Korea, which he announced during his visit to Ulan Bator, Mongolia on Tuesday, has sparked a dispute about whether ex-President Kim is being sent as a special envoy.

Cheong Wa Dae and the ruling party have both implicitly and explicitly stressed their connection to Kim’s visit to the North. They imply that Kim is carrying out the president’s or the government’s mission. This has something to do with the ruling party’s motives to capture the support of voters from the Honam region at the local elections.

Kim’s side makes it clear that the Kim is visiting as a private citizen. Some say that Kim is unhappy that the ruling party is trying to relate his visit to the local elections.

It may have been due to Kim’s disapproval, but Cheong Wa Dae and the government sent mixed messages all day.

“Not a private visit”-

A high-ranking Cheong Wa Dae official escorting President Roh during the current visit said on Thursday that the former president’s visit is not absolutely unrelated to the government’s views and policies.

The official added that it is too early to discuss the format of the visit and to tell whether it is a private one.

He then addressed President Roh’s message made in Ulan Bator that he would make much concession to the North and explained that the president meant that Korea is the country that has the biggest responsibility to come up with a solution to the problems on the peninsula, and that as president, he will do his best to find a resolution.

The official emphasized that while others can show anger and put out negative slogans during tough times, the Korean government must present a solution. Another high-ranking official in Seoul said yesterday, “we cannot leave our fate in the hands of the U.S.”

“It is a private visit”-

Secretary Choi Kyung-hwan, an aide to the former president, said, “Former President Kim is doing all he can to solve the problems of Korea and world peace. He has revealed countless times that he is not visiting as a government representative or special envoy, but a private citizen.”

Another aide added, “Former President Kim does not want to be used as an target of political battles amid the ruling party’s attempts to take advantage of the visit and the opposition party’s to oppose it.”

“Visiting as a former president”-

A government official came to the pressroom in the Ministry of Unification yesterday afternoon and said, “Nothing has been discussed about a government special envoy. Former President Kim is visiting as a “former president” and the government supports the visit.” About the remarks made by the Cheong Wa Dae official yesterday morning that the visit is not a private one, he explained that the official said so to protect Kim’s position.

The ruling party is in a dilemma: it wants Kim to act as a special envoy, but is afraid to upset him. This is why some analyze that the government settled for calling his visit a “visit as a former president,” which is a compromise between “special envoy” and “private citizen.”

Yeon-Wook Jung Myoung-Gun Lee jyw11@donga.com gun43@donga.com