Pres. Park: ‘Agreement was made amid principle to sternly address provocations’

Pres. Park: ‘Agreement was made amid principle to sternly address provocations’. August. 26, 2015 07:17. mhpark@donga.com.

Inter-Korean relations that faced the most tense military standoff is fast moving towards the phase of normalization after the two sides agreed to announce ‘joint statement’ through high-level contact between the two Koreas.

Commenting on the agreement, President Park Geun-hye said on Tuesday, “The agreement is a result of our government’s efforts to address the problem by leaving open the doors for dialogue, while steadfastly following the principle to sternly deal with North Korea’s provocations.” She added, “Since the North has expressed regret over its act of provocation and promised to not repeat a similar incident, it is hoped that the agreement will provide an opportunity for the two Koreas to solve all issues based on mutual trust.” The president went on to say, “Unified and mature response of the public, who continued on their living without being agitated or confused amid strong trust of the government and the military, also contributed to the outcome.”

Park said, “What is important from now on is for specific projects the two Koreas agreed upon to be implemented seamlessly through follow-on talks, and thus help ease inter-Korean tension and serve as watershed for peace and development of the Korean Peninsula.” She thus stressed that reunions of separated families should be conducted on the occasion of the Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) holiday next month, and inter-Korean exchange in the private sector be briskly implemented.

The militaries of the two Koreas immediately implemented provisions under the agreement on the day. The North lifted quasi state of war, which it had placed to its entire military, as of 12 noon on the day. Signs were also monitored suggesting that some of more than 50 North Korean submarines that disappeared from the South Korean and U.S. surveillance network returned to their bases.

The South Korean military also halted at the same hour all propaganda broadcasting towards the North, which it had been doing at 11 locations. However, it decided to maintain broadcasting facilities intact. The South Korean military plans to maintain the highest level alert for the time being, and ease in phases its beefed-up defense readiness, in tune with the North Korean military’s moves to lift the quasi state of war.

The North has reduced military threat, but there seems to be no signs of propaganda and instigation activities towards the South abating. The North’s Korean Central News Agency said, “Commitment to demolish the enemy towards gangsters of the South Korean puppet military is burning and spreading like lava,” in an attempt to shore up loyalty to Pyongyang.