The Roles of the United States in the Peace Process of the Korean Peninsula

Many Americans are now familiar with Korean culture. They watch the film Parasite, listen to the music of BTS, and enjoy Korean food such as Bulgogi, Galbi, and Bibimbap. Many teenagers in the United States are learning Taekwondo and studying Hangul and the Korean language. Furthermore, smartphones made by Samsung and cars made by Hyundai or Kia can be easily seen here in the United States.

In this manner, many Americans know and enjoy Korean culture much better than before, but there are still many cases where they do not know much about: Korea's geography and history. Currently, there are two separate countries on the Korean Peninsula: the Republic of Korea (ROK) and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), separated by the armistice line.

It is not that the two countries existed separately on the Korean Peninsula from the beginning. Rather, on the Korean Peninsula, one united country has existed for a longer period at least since modern times. They spoke the same language, shared the same ethnicity, and enjoyed the same culture for a long time.

The reason that the Korean Peninsula was divided into two countries was due to the Japanese colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula and the Cold War that began immediately after World War II. Independence movements and armed struggles for independence from the Japanese colonial rule continued on the Korean Peninsula with a great deal of sacrifice, but the liberation and independence of the Korean Peninsula was achieved by the unconditional surrender of Japan to the Allied Powers in 1945.

After the end of World War II, Germany in Europe was divided into East and West with responsibility for the war, in Asia, whereas the Korean Peninsula and Vietnam were divided into North and South instead of Japan. At that time, the majority of Koreans opposed division, but the Cold War and the dynamics of international relations forced them to accept division along the 38th parallel. Furthermore, the Korean War, which began in 1950, not only caused numerous casualties and a total destruction of resources, but also further hardened and strengthened the division and the confrontation between the two Koreas.

About 40 years later, the Cold War led mainly by the United States and the Soviet Union came to an end due to the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Eastern European communist states. On the Korean Peninsula, however, the division of North and South Korea, a legacy of the Cold War, is still maintained, and the Korean Peninsula is still suffering a lot of sacrifice and enduring pain due to the division.

In particular, the Korean Peninsula is at a quasi-war state because a peace treaty to formally end the Korean War has not yet been reached. Such military instability on the Korean Peninsula not only threatens the security of the Korean Peninsula, but also poses a great threat to the stability of East Asia and world peace.

The surest way to eliminate military tension and maintain lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula is to achieve unification between two countries that share language, ethnicity, history, and culture. However, such unification cannot be achieved through war or coercion, so a very gradual and long-term process is required. Therefore, peace must be established on the Korean Peninsula before unification is achieved, and peace is an essential condition and method for achieving unification.

In the meantime, many efforts have been made to establish peace on the Korean Peninsula, but the most recent efforts for a complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the establishment of a permanent peace regime, stable and lasting inter-Korean relations, the economic co-prosperity on the Korean Peninsula is the peace process initiative by the Moon Jae-in government of South Korea.

Recently, the United States has also made efforts to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula and establish a peace regime. In 2018, then-US President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un held the first-ever US-DPRK summit and issued a joint statement in Singapore, and in 2019 they held the second US-DPRK summit in Hanoi, Vietnam. Unfortunately, no further progress has been made since then, due to differences of opinion and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under such circumstances, what roles can the United States play in the future for peace and unification on the Korean Peninsula? The United States is still the world's most powerful country and can contribute to world peace through diplomacy, international cooperation, and humanitarian aid. In addition, since the security and economic prosperity of the United States are closely linked to the stability and prosperity of the international order, world peace is a matter directly related to the national interest of the United States.

Regarding peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, first of all, the US government must resolve the North Korean nuclear issue in a diplomatic way through dialogue and negotiation. On the Korean Peninsula, even a local armed conflict can easily trigger an all-out war or an international war, so the idea of ​​resolving the North Korean nuclear issue using force must be abandoned.

Since the resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue and the establishment of a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula are two sides of the same coin, the resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue requires the declaration of an end to the Korean War, the easing or lifting of economic sanctions against North Korea, the conclusion of a peace treaty, and the normalization of US-DPRK relations. In this process, the US should work closely with its ally and partner, the South Korean government.

Ordinary Americans can also play an important role in promoting peace and reunification on the Korean Peninsula. You can support the Korean Peninsula Peace Act, the North American Family Reunion Act, and the North Korean Humanitarian Assistance Act, which are pending in the Congress, by sending letters or e-mails to the Senators and Representatives. You can also organize and participate in educational activities or peaceful demonstrations for the declaration of an end to the Korean War and the conclusion of a peace treaty. Only when the people of North and South Korea, Korean Americans, and peace-loving American citizens go together on the path for peace and reunification on the Korean Peninsula will the stability of the Korean Peninsula and world peace will come.

P.S. This article was published in The Road to Unification by the Orange County San Diego Chapter of the National Unification Advisory Council of the Republic of Korea.

The Biden Administration and Peace on the Korean Peninsula

 

Joe Biden was elected the 46^th president of the United States on November, 3, 2020, and the new Biden administration was subsequently launched on January 20, 2021. The Biden administration, which is expected to implement domestic and foreign policies that would be substantially different from the former Trump administration, is also expected to take a policy significantly distinct in relation to the Korean Peninsula issues.

In doing so, we look forward to establishing a more proactive Korean Peninsula peace policy from the Biden administration, both taking over the achievements and overcoming limitations of Trump’s “maximum pressure and engagement” policy and Obama’s “strategic patience” policy.

As a candidate, President Biden said, “With North Korea, I will empower our negotiators and jump-start a sustained, coordinated campaign with our allies and others, including China, to advance our shared objective of a denuclearized North Korea.”

In order to achieve the denuclearization and establish a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula, the most urgent task for stability and prosperity in Northeast Asia and for world peace, it is necessary for the Biden administration to closely cooperate with the South Korean government, a partner of the US-ROK alliance and the most concerned party to the Korean Peninsula issues.

It is also imperative that in order to achieve the denuclearization and a permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula, two most important diplomatic goals in the region, the two principles should always be kept: a diplomatic way through negotiations with Pyongyang, and a step-by-step, reciprocal solution based on action for action. In addition, the “denuclearization first” policy or CVID policy only based on sanctions and pressure, which the former administrations have tried in vain, should not be repeated.

The Biden administration has appointed key positions to deal with North Korea. Some of them argue that the denuclearization of North Korea is impossible or that the North Korean government is not a reliable negotiating partner, neither of which is far from the truth. If the nuclear negotiation process between the US and North Korea since the Clinton administration is closely examined, we can see that North Korea has been seriously engaged in negotiations with the US. In dealing with North Korea, President Biden with expertise in the field of diplomacy should keep this in mind.

In order to negotiate with North Korea, furthermore, it seems desirable to attempt a combined approach from above and from below as necessary. While the Trump administration's top-down approach had a lot of limitations, the bottom-up approach expected from the Biden administration may also have limitations in the initiatives and timing of resolving the North Korean nuclear issue. The two approaches are not necessarily mutually exclusive.

At the Eighth Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea held in January this year, North Korea insisted that in order to establish new US-North Korea relations, the US withdraw its hostile policy against North Korea, and said that it would face the US with the tit-for-tat strategy. In fact, North Korea's argument is not new and still expresses a willingness to talk with the United States.

North Korea's nuclear weapons were developed not to preemptively attack the US, but as a deterrent to alleviate the security anxiety of the North Korean regime after the end of the Cold War. With the end of the Cold War, the Soviet Union collapsed, and China established diplomatic relations with South Korea. On the other hand, the United States became the world's only superpower, and the gap in economic and military power between South Korea and North Korea began to widen enormously.

Time is not on our side. Even at this moment, North Korea's nuclear capabilities are increasing and becoming the most unstable factor in peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia. The Biden administration should no longer waste time in the wishful thinking of the collapse of the North Korean regime in the foreseeable future. Instead, it should take as a starting point the principles and spirit of the Singapore Joint Statement agreed by President Trump and Chairman Kim Jong-un in 2018, where the two countries agreed on the establishment of new US-North Korea relations, a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula, and the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. The Biden administration should keep in mind that these three tasks are closely intwined and that the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the establishment of a peace regime are two sides of the coin.

To facilitate peace on the Korean Peninsula, the Biden administration, in close consultation with the South Korean government, should suspend the US-ROK annual joint military exercises as a concrete step to create a peaceful atmosphere and build mutual trust on the Korean Peninsula, return wartime operational command to the government of the Republic of Korea, declare an end to the Korean War, and hold a summit meeting between the U.S. and North Korea as soon as possible.

President Biden will probably be very busy even now overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic and dealing with urgent domestic and foreign problems. However, the establishment of a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula is also an urgent task that cannot be postponed any longer. We hope that President Biden will show a new leadership for peace on the Korean Peninsula to the world.

P.S. This article was published in The Road to Unification by the Orange County San Diego Chapter of the National Unification Advisory Council of the Republic of Korea.

The Denuclearization and Peace-building on the Korean Peninsula and the Second U.S.-North Korea Summit in Vietnam

The second summit between the United States President Donald Trump and Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) Chairman Kim Jong Un has been scheduled to take place February 27-28, 2019 in Hanoi, Vietnam. We, Korean Americans and KAPAC members, firmly believe that a successful summit between President Trump and Chairman Kim will not only contribute to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, but also constitute an excellent stepping stone for peace and prosperity for the US, ROK, DPRK, and the world.

At the first summit in June 2018 in Singapore, President Trump and Chairman Kim agreed to “establish new U.S.-DPRK relations, “join their efforts to build a lasting and stable peace regime on the Korean Peninsula,” and “work toward complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.” Despite some criticism, the historic summit replaced the belligerence of the past with a flurry of diplomatic activities. As a consequence, no nuclear test has been conducted since September, 2017, and no ICBM has been launched since November, 2017.

In Hanoi, we hope President Trump and Chairman Kim will continue to build peace and achieve disarmament in the Korean Peninsula. Because the final, fully verified denuclearization (FFVD) may only be achieved by a long and phased process, a negotiated settlement through sustained diplomacy, reciprocity, and real peacebuilding are the only viable option for success. The upcoming summit is another significant opportunity for advancing peace and prosperity of the Korean Peninsula and the world.

At the upcoming summit, we also hope President Trump and Chairman Kim reach an agreement on the roadmap for the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, a formal declaration of the end of the Korean War, partial easing of economic sanctions against North Korea in exchange for North Korea’s concrete steps for denuclearization, and the establishment of the liaison offices for the diplomatic normalization between the two countries. We believe that the denuclearization and the peace regime of the Korean Peninsula should be achieved simultaneously, for they are two sides of a coin.

Based on the value of a solid U.S.-ROK alliance, we, Korean Americans, and KAPAC members, will do our best to achieve a complete denuclearization and a lasting and stable peace regime on the Korean Peninsula.

P.S. This is a briefing note prepared for Congressman Andy Kim (D-NY).

The Statement for Peace Building on the Korean Peninsula

The PyeongChang 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games have just begun as a global festival of peace.

President Moon Jae-in has invested tireless effort to make the Games a success. President Donald Trump's has graciously agreed to postpone the joint military exercise between the United States and the Republic of Korea. And Chairman Kim Jong-un has generously offered to a large delegation. All these indicate that the Games will be a success. It also has a potential bringing about lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula.

The resumption of dialogue and cultural exchanges are thawing the inter-Korean relations, frozen for a long time. Under the IOC's "Olympic Korean Peninsula Declaration," North Korea and South Korea have agreed to field a unified women's ice hockey team and to walk together as one under the Korean Unification Flag during the opening and closing ceremonies. All these herald a new era of inter-Korean reconciliation and cooperation.

However, above the aura of peace on the Korean Peninsula, there is a dark shadow of war. In his State of the Union address, President Donald Trump harshly called the North Korean government a "depraved" and "cruel" dictatorship and promised to “wage a campaign of maximum pressure" against the country. The United States continues to deploy additional strategic assets around the Korean Peninsula and Guam. All indicate that the Trump Administration is seriously considering a preventive military strike on North Korea.

We believe that would be a big mistake. Even a very limited military strike will most likely invite North Korea's retaliation. China will not stand idly without taking military action if North Korea is attacked by the United States. Combined with the unlikelihood of U.S. standing by and South Korea's Kill Chain, quick escalation to all-out war is the likely result. If a full-scale war breaks out, it could quickly and unavoidably expand into a nuclear war. The result may be that not only would the two Koreas be destroyed, but the global peace could be seriously threatened. Thus, we strongly oppose any form of military action on the Korean Peninsula by any party.

For the sake of peace on the Korean Peninsula, we demand:

First, President Moon Jae-in should play a bridge-building role in making every effort to improve inter-Korean relations while at the same time promoting U.S.-North Korea dialogue with the goal of denuclearization and construction of a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula. South Korea’s opposition parties and the conservative media should abandon their partisan efforts to disrupt inter-Korean reconciliation and instead strive for the success of the Games and peace on the Korean Peninsula.

Second, President Trump should immediately engage in dialogue with North Korea without condition. He must seriously consider halting the joint US-ROK military exercises in exchange for North Korea halting nuclear and missile tests. Also stopping the use of harsh words and war talk could add strong wind to the possibility of diplomatically resolving the North Korean nuclear issue without resorting to a destructive war.

Third, Chairman Kim Jong-un should do the same:  immediately cease nuclear and missile tests, actively strive to improve inter-Korean relations through inter-Korean dialogue and exchanges, and actively engage in talks with the United States for the construction of a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula free of nuclear weapons.

Thus, the United States, South Korea and North Korea should work together to build a peace on the Korean Peninsula. Freezing North Korea’s nuclear and missile tests and halting U.S.-ROK joint military exercises are two important bridging steps. We want peace, not war. The dark cloud of war must be replaced with a bright ray of hope and peace.

The KOREAN AMERICAN PUBLIC ACTION COMMITTEE (KAPAC)

P.S. This statement appears on New N Joy US.