[Editorial] Concern Growing Over Roh’s NLL Aproach and Upcoming Military Talks in Pyongyang

Defense Ministry Kim Jang-soo commented upon his return from the recent Inter-Korean summit in Pyongyang, saying, “We did not make any concessions as to the northern limit line. That’s the greatest achievement of the summit.” But President Roh Moo-hyun disputed the remarks only a couple of days later and said, “The NLL was drawn unilaterally and was for military operational purposes. Defining it as the national border amounts to misleading citizens.” The defense ministers of the two Koreas will meet in November in Pyongyang. But South Koreans cannot brush away the woes stemming from the dangerous assumptions of the president. We are wondering what will happen to the NLL in the future.

Roh’s comments give us the impression that North Korea has a legitimate claim to the area south of the line. The greater concern lies in that Roh might yield to Kim Jong Il’s demand for delineation of a new NLL. Minister Kim told the National Assembly, “The NLL is a substantial concept of territory,” clearly defining it as an extension of the 155 mile long northern border with North Korea. Should Roh insist on his idea, Minister Kim may have to give up his legitimate stance. Minster Kim’s abandonment means the upcoming military talks in Pyongyang will be carried out upon the assumption that the NLL will be redrawn.

Citing the constitutional definition of territory, which encompasses the entire Korean Peninsula, Roh alleges that the NLL is not a borderline. Assuming what Roh says is true, no one can define Roh’s meeting with Kim Jong Il as a summit. Despite the declaratory definition in the Constitution, we have a reality in which two separate states exist on the peninsula. The two Koreas are archenemies of each other. Therefore, the NLL is a real borderline separating the two.

Former Rep. Lee Dong-bok, who led the South Korean delegation that negotiated the 1991 inter-Korean pact, warns that Roh’s move could bring about deadly and fatal consequences. Roh proposed various joint economic programs to Kim Jong Il, including operation of direct air flights between Haeju and Seoul, joint fishing around the NLL, and establishment of a special peace zone in the Yellow Sea. According to Rep. Lee, the regime in Pyongyang will manipulate the opportunities to militarily nullify the NLL. Political science professor Nam Ju-hong of Kyunggi University did not welcome the upcoming meeting of the defense ministers, saying, “We have to build up military trust first. Issues like the NLL should be resolved at the very last moment.”

Minister Kim first showed a firm stance on the NLL matter. But intimidated by repeated verbal threats by Roh, Kim seems to have moved his stance into a gray area. We support Minister Kim’s original stance. If he backs away, succumbing to political pressure and yielding to the regime in North, history will not forget or forgive him.