Letters | North Korea’s message should spark a rethink of the South’s peace strategy

Readers discuss why the South Korean fantasy of achieving intra-Korean peace through appeasement has been shattered, and parallels between Russia and Israel

North Korea

Letters

Published: 11:30am, 11 Jan 2024

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On January 2, Kim Yo-jong, the vice-director of the central committee of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea, issued a statement titled “New Year Message to the President of the Republic of Korea” in which she scrutinised South Korea’s diplomatic and defence strategies while underscoring the significance of nuclear development in the North.

While the global media has extensively covered Kim’s threats regarding nuclear advancements, limited attention has been directed towards Pyongyang’s position on Korean progressives.

It is worthwhile to reflect on the historical actions of progressive politicians such as former South Korean president Moon Jae-in. The progressive faction in South Korea, appearing somewhat detached from reality, often seeks to placate North Korea by making concessions. Moon, for instance, went to the extent of signing joint declarations with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at the expense of national security and eventually strained diplomatic ties with the US.

Kim Yo-jong, having witnessed previous North-South summits, adopted a derisive tone towards South Korean progressive politicians, depicting Moon as “a difficult opponent to deal with and someone skilled at taking care of security”, thereby raising questions about his sincerity in improving inter-Korea relations. One can only speculate on Moon’s reaction to such a dismissive statement.

It is apparent that the South Korean fantasy of achieving intra-Korean peace through appeasement has been shattered. Unless South Korean progressives compromise national security, akin to the notorious traitor Lee Wan-yong, who signed the 1910 treaty that placed Korea under Japanese rule, the Kim dynasty is unlikely to make the slightest concession to South Korea.

However, advocates for peace need not succumb to pessimism, as the demise of appeasement can mark the beginning of correct action for a democratic, free Korea. It’s time for South Korean society to help North Koreans – to help fellow Koreans enslaved by a brutal autocracy – just as their ancestors confronted the injustice of Japanese colonial rule in the early 20th century.

Henry Wong, Kennedy Town

Israel is another Russia, but with a powerful supporter

The Russo-Ukrainian war is approaching its two-year mark and the Israeli operation in the Gaza Strip is entering its third month. Russia claims that Ukrainian far-right militant groups such as Azov and Right Sector are a threat to its security and part of a Nato plot to destabilise it. Israel, long presented as a democratic Jewish island in a sea of Muslim hostility, calls for the destruction of Hamas.

Both Russia and Israel fight with ferocious brutality. Russia pummels Ukraine with cruise missiles, Geranium drones and 152mm artillery rounds, while Israel drops 2,000-pound bombs and has killed more than a hundred Palestinians per day. Large parts of the Gaza Strip and of the southern and eastern regions of Ukraine have been devastated and left uninhabitable, causing enormous humanitarian suffering.

A Russian naval blockade has been imposed on the Black Sea and Sea of Azov and the Ukrainian city of Odessa has been a frequent target of Russian naval missiles. Israel has delayed the delivery of humanitarian supplies by the United Nations and Red Crescent to Gaza after the flare-up of tensions on October 7. Palestinians are also having difficulty accessing electricity and clean drinking water, whereas multiple power stations and grain silos in Ukraine have been destroyed.

Last but not least, both Russia and Israel are having trouble achieving their goals. Russia is about to fight for two years a war that was supposed to be a week-long blitz and Israeli officials expect to continue fighting for a year, despite their overwhelming superiority in firepower, technology and wealth. What can I say except Israel is basically a younger, smaller Russia, armed with far better propaganda tools and an omnipotent lobby in Washington.

Daniel Cheung, Mid-Levels