[Editorial] Roh Catering to Kim Jong Il with Talk of Redefined NLL

Unification Minister Lee Jae-jeong, who is in charge of preparations for the second summit between Seoul and Pyongyang, told the congressional committee on Unification, Foreign Affairs and Commerce last Friday, “The Northern Limit Line (“NLL”) in the Yellow Sea was not intended to delineate the territorial border. It’s just for buffering military conflicts between the two Koreas. We need something more practical to replace it.” His remarks hint at the Roh Administration’s willingness to redefine the NLL at the upcoming meeting in Pyongyang. The Roh administration, however, has closed its eyes to the military reality and seems ready to shake the buttresses of national security all for the sake of a one-time event in Pyongyang.

The NLL has served the national interest for the last 54 years, along with the military demarcation line. If the Roh administration redraws the line further south as requested by the reclusive regime in north, we will see more military conflicts in the Yellow Sea. The northern communist regime will make more attempts to push deeper south into our marine territory, which will inevitably force our navy and air force to conduct more aggressive activities in response. The idea of a “southern NLL” is also threatening the defense of the national capital, Seoul.

North Korea’s argument for the redrawing contradicts its own long-time stance. For 20 years since the line was drawn in the 1950s, North Korea had never expressed any objection to the line, at least untill October 1973 when it suddenly violated the line for 43 times in a mere month. In 1992, it executed and ratified the Inter-Korean Basic Agreement. In other words, it acknowledged the international effectiveness of the NLL. All of sudden, the starving regime in the North put the matter on the top of its agendas. The only reason we can think of is its intent to secure an advantage point in the ensuing peace talks.

The history of the NLL is not on the side of the reclusive regime, either. The United Nations Command drew the line when UN forces dominated all the seas around the Korean Peninsula. They, however, withdrew south below the line, and handed the control over the northern part to the regime. Considering the fragile naval force of the North, it was a windfall to the regime.

Popping champagne while celebrating the upcoming summit, the Roh administration seems to have forgotten the South Korean soldiers slain in the 1999 Yeonpyeong and the 2002 Yellow Sea conflicts. South Koreans do not and will not ignore any manipulation attempt by the Roh administration to tamper with the NLL to cater to Kim Jung Il. Our military readiness stands high. Roh Moo-yeon is closing his term and leaves office in six months. Nonetheless, if he attempts any secret deal with Kim Jung Il, we will define any such act as treason.