[Editorial] Principles on Peace Heard at International Conference

Principles for peace on the Korean peninsula were clearly presented at an international conference held on March 26 under the theme of “The future of the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia since the February agreement” co-hosted by the Hawjeong Peace Foundation of the Dong-A Ilbo, Ilmin International Relations Institute at Korea University, and Georgetown University in Washington. U.S. officials and experts from Korea and the U.S. agreed that the complete elimination of North Korean nukes, improvement in human rights issues in the North, and a stronger Korea-U.S. alliance are needed to make the February agreement at the six-party talks lead to the establishment of peace on the Korean peninsula, and assessed the agreement positively.

Assistant Secretary for East Asia and the Pacific Christopher Hill clearly explained the principles of the Bush administration. He said, “The U.S. will not establish any type of relationship with a nuclear-armed North Korea,” while expecting North Korea to carry on its pledge of denuclearization. These principles should be kept to realize fundamental peace on the Korean peninsula. His remark dismissed a question that arose from some of the international community for now of whether the U.S. intends to tolerate the existing nuclear weapons of the North as long as it does not transfer fissile materials outside the country.

The assistant secretary went on to emphasize, “The North should meet international standards on issues like human rights to have a good relationship with the U.S.” His remark is correct. As North Korea-U.S. relations normalize, residents in North Korea should be able to escape from the fear of repression and starvation as a result, which is in line with principles of free democracy and peaceful reunification that South Korea has pursued since the country’s inception. Only when peace on the Korean peninsula is built on those principles can it benefit the people in both Koreas.

It is natural that the participants at the seminar emphasized the importance of the Korea-U.S. alliance during the course of normalization of North Korea-U.S. relations. Neither the establishment of diplomatic ties between North Korea and the U.S. nor a peace treaty instead of the current armistice treaty guarantees an immediate peace. We need more insurance. For example, we need to strengthen our national power and deepen the Korea-U.S. alliance. The Korea-U.S. FTA could contribute to this. In this sense, it was timely and relevant that the conference participants discussed what benefits Korea and the U.S. should share in the future as allies. The responsibility to resolve the issue is upon both the governments and people of the two countries.