The Marmot’s Hole

More summit notes. Because there’s just so much crap out there.

• Is Kim Jong-il hitting the sauce again? Novelist Jo “We Koreans Suffered 10 Times More than the Jews” Jung-rae (I really need to stop making fun of him for that, lest readers forget he’s actually a really good novelist, regardless of his politics), who was part of the unofficial team of politicians, businessmen, cultural figures and religious leaders who accompanied President Roh up North, said Kim Jong-il appeared quite healthy. In fact, said Jo, his handshake was so firm it almost crushed his hand. But more to our interest, he said, “His voice, too, was so loud it filled up the hall. And he ceaselessly drank wine, showing off his high drinking capacity; if he wasn’t healthy, he couldn’t never do that.”
• During a session of the National Assembly Committee on Unification, Foreign Affairs and Trade, Unification Minister Lee Jae-joung said the proposal to hold “three or four party talks” to replace the armistice regime on the Korean Peninsula was initially made by the North. When asked who the parties would be, Lee avoided specifics, saying, “It would depend on the situation, but as parties, North and South Korea would take the initiative in discussions and relevant nations would participate… Because a declaration to end the war and discussions to build a peace regime are different cases, it’s not a situation where I can clearly say.”
• Cheong Wa Dae was a bit more specific — a presidential spokesman said during a regular briefing today that that the North recognized the South as an interested party in the armistice regime, and that “three party talks” would “naturally” include both Koreas and the United States. He said China could be included or excluded — if Beijing wanted in, it could be included.
• Well, this might be of interest — regarding the “three or four parties,” Kyungnam University professor Kim Geun-sik, who was part of the unofficial team that went North with President Roh, said he “indirectly heard” that Kim Jong-il expressed interest in excluding the Chinese. Speaking at Pai Chai University, Kim said it was actually President Roh who “watered down” the discussion to four parties out of concern that excluding China would create a diplomatic stir. KJI was also the one who proposed regular “prime minister-level” meetings to add strength to the intra-Korean relationship, said Kim. He also noted that North Korean officials told their Southern counterparts not to use the words “reform” or “opening.” The professor explained that North Korea was asking that the South give up its intention to transform or collapse the North Korea regime and acknowledge and respect the North Korean system at a time when Pyongyang was normalizing its relationship with the United States by abandoning its nuclear program and reviving its economy through North-South economic cooperation.
• South Korean taxpayers, rejoice! Cheong Wa Dae said South Korean taxpayers would not have to foot the bill for the intra-Korean economic projects agreed upon during the summit. During the regular briefing mentioned above, Cheong Wa Dae said these projects would be approached through private investment in which companies would invest based on profit. Upgrading the rail link between Kaesong and Shunuiju and the highway between Pyongyang and Kaesong would require state funds, but even this would be to the South’s benefit, he said, as it expand South Korea’s economic influence to Northeast Asia. The Korea Times, however, reports that bankers and analysts in South think international lending institutions will pass on these intra-Korean economic projects, and most of the costs will likely get dumped on — you guessed it — the taxpayer. The Chosun Ilbo also reports that South Korean businesses are iffy about investing in the North. I guess we’ll have to see.
• The main opposition Grand National Party is skeptical, too, asking whether so-called “economic cooperation” is nothing more that one-way aid in disguise. The GNP also noted that any declaration to end the Korean War or economic cooperation must be predicated on North Korea giving up its nuclear program, and that the party would look into whether the issues regarding the joint declaration accorded were constitution and whether they required citizen or parliamentary approval. In particular, the GNP is concerned that a) the declaration reveals the intention to push for the creation of a low-level “federation system” on the peninsula; b) the agreement not to intervene in each other’s internal affairs is actually a promise not to raise the North Korean human rights issue; c) the creation of a joint fishing zone in the West Sea might include the intention to render powerless the NLL; d) any declaration to the end of the Korean War must be predicated on an apology from Pyongyang for invading the South, the abandonment of its nuclear program and the repatriation of abductees and POWs; and e) plans for joint use of the Han River estuary might weaken Seoul’s defensive line. Huh, maybe the GNP isn’t so happy with the summit results after all?
• President Roh has instructed his cabinet to come up with a “roadmap” to implement his summit agreement with North Korea. “Roh stressed a road map for inter-Korean cooperation is necessary to prevent confusion for the next administration.” Gee, you think?
• You can get a much less cynical view of the summit results via the Ministry of Unification… in English!
• Defense Minister Kim Jang-soo apparently did raise the issue of POWs during the talks, asking his Northern counterpart if he wouldn’t mind checking if South Korean POWs were still alive in the North. He also asked him to consider mail exchanges, reunions and repatriation. His counterpart responded with a nod and nothing else. Kim also said Roh discussed the matter with Kim Jong-il.
• Families of South Koreans abducted by the North are pissed off and holding relay hunger strikes in front of Cheong Wa Dae.
• Some choice quotes — in English — from the Korea Times.
• There are actually two versions of the joint declaration signed in Pyongyang, each one taking into account the slightly different terminology, spelling and points of political correctness in North and South. Kind of nifty, really.
• Gee, someone’s a bit angry.

More later. If I feel like it.